Dry Tropics Biodiversity Group Inc. (inform, educate, enthuse, implement)

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Information about Wild Plant Families and Species of the Townsville Region (like winning the lottery if a particular species you want is here)

Xanthorrhoea
Santalaceae
Melodorum leichhardtii
Proteaceae
Malvaceae
Gyrocarpus
Diospyros geminata
Diospyros maritima
Eucalyptus
about the Stinging Tree, (Gympie Gympie)

GRASSTREES (XANTHORRHOEA) Russell Cumming top |

 Grasstrees are one of the truly Australian botanical icons. There are about thirty species, mostly restricted to southern Australia, but extending to coastal north Queensland. Many of the species are ill-defined and extremely hard to separate. Several hybridise and there is considerable intergradation between them. Thus, they are one group of plants that do not conform well to the species concept, as they are not particularly easy to `pigeonhole’.

 There are three recognised species in the Townsville region.

 The most common and widespread is X. johnsonii, which usually has a short unbranched trunk up to one metre high, but whole populations often have no trunk. It occurs from central Cape York Peninsula south to central New South Wales, and inland to the Burra Range. Around Townsville, it can be found in open forest on the ranges and to a lesser extent, on the coastal plain north of Townsville.

 The other species, X. latifolia, is considerably larger, with trunks up to three metres tall. It is often branched and has much longer, flatter leaves. Its northernmost extent is Mt Cleveland, from where it extends south to southern New South Wales. It grows in great profusion on the upper slopes of Mt Cleveland, Mt Storth and Saddle Mountain, often so thick that pushing between the plants is difficult.

 While the two species are quite different in their pure forms, they appear to grade together on the lower slopes of the above mentioned hills.

 The third species is X. pumilio, which I have never been able to separate from X. johnsonii. X. pumilio is supposed to be smaller in trunk and leaf length than X. johnsonii and occurs in much the same habitat, also extending inland to the Great Divide.

 More work is needed to sort out the real differences between these two, if they are really different, and to analyse the complex patterns of variation.

 All grasstrees have long spear-like flower spikes, which bear thousands of white flowers. The flowers are full of nectar in the early morning, attracting a wide variety of insects and birds. The nectar can be sucked directly from them or made into a delicious drink.

 Grasstrees are highly adapted to fire, producing new foliage very quickly after a burn. Their trunks, or growing apices, if they don’t have a trunk, are protected by tightly packed leaf-bases, which serve as a very effective insulator against even severe fires. They flower much more profusely after a bushfire.

 Grasstrees are related to lilies, formerly being within the lily family, but now having their own family, Xanthorrhoeaceae.

SANTALACEAE by Russell Cumming top | | articles main page |

 This family has ten genera in Australia, five of which occur in north Queensland. Only three species from three genera occur around Townsville. They are all root parasites.

 SANTALUM LANCEOLATUM (SANDALWOOD). This is a small tree that ranges very widely across arid Australia, occurring sporadically, usually in very small populations, around Townsville in dry areas on rocky slopes. It has small grey leaves about 4cm long and small dirty, pale yellow flowers about 8mm across. The fruit is a black or purple spherical berry about 1cm across, with a little edible flesh over a hard seed. Sandalwood is one of Australia’s better-known trees because of its aromatic wood and the industry that built up around it last century.

 EXOCARPOS LATIFOLIUS (NATIVE CHERRY or MISTLETOE TREE). A dense-foliaged bush or small tree of vine thickets, beach scrubs and drier rainforests across northern Australia. It is very common around Townsville. The leaves are dull to shiny dark green, elliptical to almost circular, with distinctive divaricate nervature (palminerved). The flowers grow on short spikes about 2cm long. Each greenish brown flower is tiny - about 1mm across. The fruit are much more showy, consisting of a hard seed with a swollen yellow to red fleshy stalk. This stalk is edible and often very tasty.

 DENDROTROPHE VARIANS . This plant is a woody vine of upland rainforests around Paluma and the top of Mt Elliot and Saddle Mountain. The leaves are similar to Exocarpos latifolius. The tiny flowers are pale green and the black fruits are about 1 cm long.

Melodorum leichhardtii, Zigzag vine or Acid drop vine; by Doug Silke top |
was Rauwenhoffia leichhardtii

A ramble through things somewhat associated with our plant of the month: Rauwenhoffia leichhardtii, common name Zigzag vine or Acid drop vine. Family Annonaceae.

 Annonaceae (Annona, base genus for the family... is the Custard apple genus)

This is mainly a tropical family of trees shrubs and woody climbers, members are widespread throughout countries that were part of Gondwanaland

 The most widespread of this family in Australia - probably extending in a coastal strip from Sydney to the Cape - are the two common Annonaceae plants the small tree Polyalthia nitidissima. and the strong woody climber Rauwenhoffia leichhardtii that often extends for long distances in the canopy.

 This family has unfused carpels in the one flower, usually developing into many separate dry or fleshy fruit (fleshy for both the common plants), on the one receptacle, each with one to many seeds, sometimes coalescing into fleshy aggregate carpels (the carpels of R. leichhardtii are not aggregate, they grow with individual short stalks, but each fruitlet may be elongated in a fleshy chain)

 Annonaceae is related to Magnolias and Winteraceae (Tasmannia sp. grow here) and these represent very primitive plants, with separate carpels also. Myristicaceae and Lauraceae are also relatives, perhaps these would have separate carpels... except they cannot because their flowers develop to have only one seed.

 In both Rauwenhoffia leichhardtii and Polyalthia nitidissima the many separate fruits growing off the one small woody receptacle makes them easy to identify... if they are fruiting, if you can see the fruit... Which reminds me that R. leichhardtii fruit is apparently hard to see, as it is often high up in the treetops. It is a big woody climber. The three fruiting plants that I have seen were glorious and spectacular with massed fruit, but were small woody shrubs. All three were side by side in Palm Creek, 1-1.5 m high, looking nothing like a climber or even a scrambler, presumably because they were growing on rock crevices out in full sun. So I suppose they show the form many climbers can take in those circumstances.

If I had then known that these fruit are delicious food, perhaps this is the origin of the common name "Acid Drop Vine") I would have experienced another dimension of the plant. And there is another dimension... the short lived, flowers are reputed to have a strong perfume... of sliced apple... or very ripe bananas, sometimes smelt without finding the elevated flowers.

 Actually my description needs more.... you need to see photographs of these fruits to then be able to identify them.... see if I remember to bring photos to the next meeting... look near the library display.

 In truth I have a lot of trouble identifying this climber still. With simple alternate leaves many plants look the same. Their stems are apparently very similar to other climbers. But there is one characteristic that is sometimes easy to see at any time of the year. The "branch tendril" climbing mechanism is particularly important for the Annonaceae climbers as most use this technique. R. leichhardtii is an excellent example.

 Branch climbers often tend to be defined by what they are not. They are not tendril climbers, ... no tendrils; not root clingers either for obvious reasons, nor are they prickly. Leaf climbers may also be a bit difficult to decide on, with reflexed leaves. But branch climbers stay up there somehow, so must use their branches for support.

 But the branch tendril climbers are often fairly obvious, because at least some very young branches are touch sensitive, and wind around things that they touch. Often the shoot will completely circle another stem, then thickens, but continues to grow and function as branches. Older branches probably loose touch sensitivity. Some well developed branch tendril climbers are called knot tiers.

 In propagation, the fleshy seeds apparently have limited period of viability, and for best results should be sown fresh

 Hope you found something of interest in this ramble

References:
Jones, D.L; Gray, B, Climbing Plants in Australia, Reed, 1988
Morley, B. D; Toelken H. R; Flowering Plants in Australia; 1983
Williams, K.A.W.; Native Plants Queensland, Printcraft, vol 1 1979, vol 3 1987

PROTEACEAE by Russell Cumming top | articles main page |

 The Protea family is one of the major Australian plant families, containing an enormous variety of leaf forms and spectacular flowers, including Australia's third largest genus; Grevillea. I covered the local Grevilleas in `Plants of the Month' a couple of years ago. The other members of the family within about a one hundred kilometre radius of Townsville, include:

Banksia integrifolia var aquilonia (northern coast Banksia). Usually a small tree of open forests on the Paluma Range, north from about Bluewater. The erect yellow flower heads hold many hundreds of tightly packed individual flowers. Up to sixty individual fruits or small woody follicles are tightly clustered into a cone.

Cardwellia sublimis (northern silky oak). A large dominant tree of well-developed rainforest. It is particularly common around Paluma. The flowers are held in large white showy spikes. The fruit are very large woody follicles about 10cm long, which are held upright in clusters on the outside of the tree. The seedlings are very distinctive with big butterfly-shaped cotyledons about 7cm long. The young leaves are simple and elliptical. Mature leaves are large and pinnate, up to 60cm long.

Carnarvonia araliifolia (red silky oak). A large rainforest tree probably occurring around Paluma. The sapling leaves are pinnate and the mature leaves are digitate. The white flowers are borne in large open panicles and the fruit are woody follicles about 3cm long.

Darlingia darlingiana (brown silky oak). A large rainforest tree with spectacular white cylindrical flower heads in large masses on the outside of the tree. The fruits are woody follicles about 4cm long. Sapling leaves are large and deeply lobed (pinnatifid), being up to 50cm long. Mature leaves are entire, elliptical, often with a wavy margin, and about 20cm long. It is common around Paluma.

Hakea lorea. (bootlace Hakea). A small tree of open woodlands. It is common in inland north Queensland. But near Townsville I have only seen it behind the ranges west of Woodstock. It is a very distinctive tree with terete, completely pendulous leaves up to 70cm long. The juvenile leaves are quite different, being erect, somewhat spiky and divided several times. The cream flowers are carried in large cylindrical pendulous racemes and the fruit are woody follicles about 3cm long.

Hakea plurinervia. An open bush to 2 metres high, growing in forested areas west of Paluma. The leaves are tough with many parallel nerves, about 15cm long and 2cm wide. The white flowers are borne in small tight clusters in the leaf axils and the fruit are woody follicles about 2cm long.

Helicia nortoniana (Norton’s silky oak). A smaller rainforest tree common around Paluma and on Mt Elliot. The leaves are serrated, about 15cm long and 6cm wide. The flowers are cream with rusty hairs, borne in cylindrical spikes about 10cm long. The fruit is a blue ovoid berry about 1cm long.

Persoonia falcata (geebung). A small tree of open woodlands with distinctive dark brown papery bark. The leaves are narrow and curved, to about 20cm long. The flowers are yellow and borne in loose spikes at the ends of the branches. The fruit is a spherical berry, turning dull blue-black at maturity. This species is widespread in the Townsville region on flats and hillslopes.

Stenocarpus angustifolius. A bush or small tree of creeks in open woodland between Paluma and Hidden Valley. The juvenile leaves are finely divided into many narrow segments. The mature leaves are completely different, being simple and narrowly elliptical. Most plants retain the juvenile foliage. Many do not develop mature foliage, or go only part way towards it. The white flowers are borne in small loose umbels and the fruit are long narrow follicles of coarse papery or very light woody texture.

Turrillea bleasdalei (blush silky oak). A rainforest tree with pinnate leaves, usually with a winged central leaf axis. The new growth is a spectacular pink/brown. The cream flowers are covered in rusty hairs. They are borne in cylindrial spikes about 10cm long. The fruit is a spherical black nut. It is common around Paluma and on Mt Elliot and Saddle Mountain.

Xylomelum scottianum (northern woody pear). A tree of open woodlands, usually small but sometimes reaching the height of the associated canopy Eucalypts. The leaves are tough light green, about 12cm long and 3cm wide. Juvenile leaves have spiky margins. The flowers are carried in small light greenish-yellow spikes about 50cm long. The fruit is a fairly large woody follicle about 50cm in length.This tree is sporadic on drier hillslopes around Townsville, including Castle Hill.

I’m getting to like the Hibiscus family top | articles main page |

Plants with "Hibiscus"like flowers have been grouped together in the "Malvaceae" family. 18 species of the Malvaceae family are readily findable in the bush around Townsville. A couple of these are trees, a couple are herbs, but most are shrubs. The family members grow mainly in open forest. They especially like sandstone escarpments, but members can be found growing in a wide range of soil types. A small proportion live in semi-arid inland regions.

Malvaceae characteristics By Doug Silke

Their flowers only last about half a day, but are plentiful, large, variously coloured, so are outstanding when sunlit in the bush. Many have garden cultivation potential.

Most family members are also softly hairy.

Typical leaf shapes are illustrated here from "Jackes 1987", note - there is leaf shape variability within some species.

Revising from the last newsletter, Hibiscus flowers are again described: 5 overlapping petals, 5 sepals, often with an epicalyx (see diagram), the "female" style terminates with 5 branches at the top, more than 5 "male"stamens appear to grow out of the style, the dry seed pod usually splits open when ripe disclosing 5 seed compartments. (see fruit sketch)

A few members of the "Malvaceae" family are somewhat different. These include the genus "Sida"-small yellow flowered sub-shrubs that were discussed two editions ago (some species are virtually garden weeds), and the very similar-closely related genus "Abutilon"-larger flowered shrubs. These have generally smaller flowers and the "style/stamen central column" characteristic is compacted in height markedly and may be difficult to distinguish.

"All Recorded" Malvaceae Statistics (approximate figures)

...2000 species recorded worldwide
...Native species recorded over 220 years
160 in Australia; 100 in Queensland; 45 in Townsville area

...Recorded as introduced over 250 years, now naturalised
15 in Queensland; 8 in Townsville Area;

..Probably relatively "findable" species
18 in Townsville area

Format:
Genus name: (Townsville area species recorded)
Botanical name; common name; herb/shrub/tree; where listed (three references used only: Burra range, Cape Bowling Green/Mt Elliot, Magnetic Island); reference for species information usually with sketch or photo.

Abelmoschus: (2 species recorded)
Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus; Native Rosella; widespread prostrate herbaceous perennial; Williams Vol 1 pg2; Jackes 1987 pg84 (was Hibiscus rhodopetalus)

Abutilon: (9 species recorded)
Abutilon auritum; common shrub; Williams Vol 2 pg18; Jackes 1987 pg126
Abutilon micropetalum; uncommon shrub; Cape Bowling Green/Mt Elliot; Williams Vol 1 pg4
Abutilon oxycarpum; shrub;

Gossypium: (3 species recorded)
Gossypium australe; Burra Range; Williams Vol 1 pg132
Gossypium sturtianum; Sturts Desert Rose; Northern Territory floral emblem; West of Townsville; shrub; Williams Vol 2 pg18; Jackes 1987 pg126

Hibiscus: (17 species recorded, including 2 naturalised)
Hibiscus divaricartus; common shrub; Magnetic Island; Williams Vol 1 pg154; Jackes 1987 pg132
Hibiscus heterophyllus; Native Rosella; common shrub/small tree; Cape Bowling Green/Mt Elliot; Williams Vol 1 pg156; Anderson 1993 pg 87
Hibiscus meraukensis; common shrub; Burra Range/Magnetic Island; Williams Vol 1 pg156; Jackes 1987 pg106
Hibiscus normanii; very uncommon shrub; reported from a small area on Mt Elliot’s western slopes
Hibiscus tiliaceus; common beachfront tree; Cape Bowling Green/Mt Elliot/Magnetic Island;Williams Vol 1 pg158; Jackes 1987 pg128, Cooper 1994 pg165
Hibiscus sturtii; uncommon shrub; reported at Cape Bowling Green/Mt Elliot;Williams Vol 2 pg156
Hibiscus vitifolius; uncommon shrub; Casuarina equisetifolia open forest Cape Bowling Green/Mt Elliot

Malvastrum, Malva: (4 species recorded, including 3 naturalised)

Sida: (8 species recorded)
Sida cordifolia; Flannel Weed (possibly introduced); common sub-shrub; Anderson 1993 pg179; Jackes 1987 pg182
Sida retusa; sub-shrub; J Duce (two issues back)
Sida rhombifolia; common sub-shrub; Jackes 1987 pg82
Sida subspicata; Spiked Sida; sub-shrub; Anderson 1993 pg180
Sida spp; other known Sida species may be common.

Thespesia: (2 species recorded)
Thespesia populnea; common beachfront tree; Jackes 1987 pg128; Cooper 1994 pg 287

Urena: (1 species recorded)
Urena lobata; Urena burr; wetter area shrub; Jackes 1987 pg86; typical flower but not symetrical

References
Anderson, E; 1993; Plants of Central Queensland
Bean,A.R; 1992; Extract from Bowling Green Bay National Park Vegetation Survey.
Clarke,I, Lee,H; 1994; Name that Flower
Cooper,W, Cooper,W.T; 1994; Fruits of the Rainforest
Cumming,R; verbally
Elliot,W.R, Jones,D.L; 1980-1993; Vol 1 to 6; Encyclopedia of Australian Plants
Goodwin,M; verbally
Jackes,B.R: 1987; Plants of Magnetic Island
Jackes,B.R; Guide to Plants of the Burra Ranges
Queensland Herbarium; 1994; Queensland Vascular Plants
Townsend,K; 1994; Across the Top
Williams,K.A.W; 1984, 1987; Vol 1,2,3; Native Plants of Queensland
Wrigley,J.W, Fagg,M; 1992; Australian Native Plants

Gyrocarpus americanus; Helicopter tree, Whirly Whirly Tree, Gyrodamson, Stinkwood by Russell Cumming and Doug Silke top | articles main page |

This small to medium-sized tree belongs to the family Hernandiaceae, but has previously been included in Combretaceae or Gyrocarpaceae. It does not fit comfortably anywhere, having no close relatives, at least in Australia.

It is a very widespread species, occurring in vine scrubs across the top of Australia, from southeast Queensland to the Kimberleys and beyond to New Guinea, Melanesia and many other tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including central America..

Around Townsville, it is common in vine thickets, in localities such as Hervey Range, Mt Stuart, the Town Common, Magnetic Island, Mt Elliot and Cape Cleveland.

Trees are often deciduous for long periods, strangely producing new leaves at the beginning of the dry season. The bark is a distinctive shiny silvery-gold. The leaves mostly crowded at the ends of the branches. They are broad, usually with three short lobes and a long petiole (stalk). The tiny cream-coloured flowers are borne in borne in dense panicles at the ends of the branches. They lack petals.

The fruit are very disinctive, bearing two long outcurved wings that are greatly elongated calyx lobes, hanging from body of the fruit when attached to the tree, but which invert to the top when they breaks free, causing them to spin like the rotors of a helicopter. Even though the fruit are fairly large (about 8cm long, including the wings), they can be carried a long way from the parent tree if there is even a slight breeze.

Crushed bark bark, leaves or roots boiled for 20 minutes, strained, serves to treat tinea and ringworm. Charcoal used on cuts and sores. The light white timber has been used for toy and box manufacture.

The species is not known to be in cultivation, but with very good drainage should be good for dry areas. It has been reported growing on limestone outcrops, inland on bassalt, hard pan stony clay soil (probably inland), and sometimes fairly close to the coast on granite. Propagate from fresh seed.

References:
Aboriginal Communities of Northern Territory; Traditional Aboriginal Medecines, 1993
Elliot W.R; Jones, D. L; Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants, Vol 5; 1990
Wightman, G; Andrews, M; Plants of Northern Territory Monsoon Vine Forests, 1989
Williams, K.W. Native plants Queensland, 1979

Native Ebony by Doug Silke top | articles main page |

 Diospyros geminata (alternative name¹: Diospyros ferrea var. geminata)

Distribution:
One of the most common dry vine thicket species around Townsville, also out in more open woodland. In coastal districts from Brisbane to Cairns, more common in the North.

Description:
Like a yellow egg in an egg cup on short stalks, the fleshy fruit sits in a cup shaped calyx. The fruit actually ripens to bright red (yellowy/redish for D. humilis), then are rapidly eaten by birds.

An attractive small densely foliaged evergreen tree, with glossy stiff leathery leaves (with not even with the slightest serrations or angular margins) and deliciously edible fruit. The bark on old specimens only, is very dark.

Cultivation:
Are generally slow growing, especially when young. For a well drained position, sunny to semi shade. Propagate from fresh seed. Need male and female plants for fruit.

A few Diospyros spp. are cultivated in Australia for their edible fruit, particularly D. kaki, the persimmon from China and Japan.

Similar species
Diospyros humilis (alternative name¹: Diospyros ferrea var. humilis), seperated by it's much smaller leaves, and it's location more inland. Otherwise it is very similar. Worthwhile knowing as it extends at least from Rockhampton right across the top of Australia to the Kimberlys in drier scrubs.

Similar species
Grey Bark (or Yellow tulipwood, Grey Boxwood)
Drypetes deplanchei, Euphorbiaceae (formerly D. lasiogyna) Another very common Townsville vine thicket small densly foliaged tree, with simple glossy stiff leathery leaves. It has no egcup like calyx on the red fleshy fruit's base. The leaves are a lot stiffer than Ebony, and are more erect. Look closely at several adult leaves... some leaves often have vey slight angular leaf margins left over from the holly like prickly juvenile leaf form. Bark colour is very similar to younger Ebony trees.

Other
The Ebenaceae family in Qld. is only represented by the genus Diospyros, being next most closely related to Pouteria, Amorphospermum, Mimusops (Sapotaceae) and Symplocos.

Diospyros (Ebony's) worldwide is very very large tropical and subtropical genus. In South Africa, where Diospyros is best developed, semi desert inhabiting species have evolved, but not in Australia!!! Most also have edible fruit.

Many of the 15-20 Australian species are found around Cairns. Other species have residual calyx's but they often do not form cups under the fruit.

References:
Flora of the Kimberley; Wheeler J.R, Rye B.L, Koch B.L, Wilson A.J.G; 1992

Sea Ebony, by Doug Silke top | articles main page |

The "Ebony" family is famous for it's species with black wood, and is found throughout the worl'd tropics. It mainly contains only one genus, Diospyros. Since our article last month, two other native species of Diospyros can be found in our area. Can you guess where?? The clue from the last article was "most of Queensland's Diospyros species are found around Cairns". And in fact these two other species do exist to the north in Townsville's wetter lowland Crystal Creek/Rollingstone area. Surprise, surprise though... Betsy's book does not list any species for Paluma Rainforest. Both of this month's species generally inhabit coastal lowland.

Like Native Ebony of last month's newsletter (the same common name still covers both Diospyros geminata and D. humilis as they used to be varieties of the same species), this month's species are also members of the large group of difficult to identify "small trees with alternate, simple, broadly oval, leathery leaves". All our Diospyros species have dense crowns. They are all regarded as handsome trees, but slow growing, requiring good drainage.

For Ebonies, fruit seems a main identification character for our area. They have roundish fruit siting in an egg cup like residual calyx, howeverthis month's Diospyros hebecarpa has an obvious residual calyx but it is largely away from the fruit, only slightly cuping the fruit

The species from last month could be distinguished easily by leaf size.

Leaf sizes for wetter country evergreen species are generally largest progressing down in size to the smallest leaf size in our arid western country.

This progression seems evident in our Diospyros species. Our locally very common dry vine thicket and adjacent open forest species D. geminata has leaves 2 to 3 times longer than the drier inland country D. humilis. Both D. geminata and this month's D. hebecarpa have similarly sized leaves, but Sea Ebony has leaves double their length.

Since Diospyros usually have delicious edible fruit, it is interesting to note that this month's species also have much larger fruit (to 2.5 cm, D. geminata to 1 cm, corresponding to it's location in the inland drier country, D. humilis usually has smaller fruit) Again note the trend in fruit size with climate.

One focus of this article is plant identification. Note that the habitat and where a plant is known to be located, are primary identification clues.

Sea Ebony Diospyros maritima, living up to it's name, is found close to mangroves, and on old dunes in coastal rainforest scrubs. Many of our seafront scrub (rainforest) species are widespread around Australia's coastline, and around the coastline of many of our Northern Neighbours. Sea Ebony is similar, existing right across our northern coast to the Kimberlies, and in New Guinea, Indonesia and Melanesia. In WA it has been found on a variety of soils, in vine thickets, closed forest and in open woodland. Interestingly however the bible of Qld. plants does not record it south of Cairns!!! Literature for Qld. seems to indicate black fruit, though like all Diospyros the fully ripe fruit may be seldom seen because of birds. Yellow may be more common.

Diospyros hebecarpa also lives in Qld.'s coastal rainforest scrubs. It ranges south to Mackay, and north through New Guinea, Indonesia and Melanesia, but generally not around the north of Australia in NT or WA. It also seems to live up to it's name, hebecarpa meaning hairy fruit. However in the Kimberlies it has been identified away from the coast in vine thicket in an area with similar rainfall and can be free of hairs. Ripens to red/pink.

Townsville Area Eucalyptus species (including also some Garden grown species) by Doug Silke, 16/10/96 top | articles main page |

Some shift species to the subgenus "Corymbia" can be identified in the table.

 While many local naturally occurring eucalypts can be identified using 1 or 2 characteristics, especially to the trained eye, generally even related groups of Eucalyptus species (like subgenus Corymbia) are defined by the combination of several characteristics.

In other words - there are always confusing exceptions to any simple rule describing a species, or group of related species of Eucalyptus, especially if outside your own local area.

Recommendation.... Once a few basic easy species are known, learn the main names for groups of eucalypts: e.g. Paper Fruited Bloodwoods, this groups related species. Generally ignore the harder to read subgenus and other classification names, they will be useful to very few.

CORYMBIA
These are the Bloodwoods, and are the easiest large subgenus of Eucalyptus to differentiate. They are found in all mainland states but most come from the tropics. Notable in the field for: the usually rough tesselated bark (often not as obvious as E. tessellaris), on whole or at least part of the trunk; the adult penniveined leaves (Eastern Blue Gums and Red Mahoganies may also have these) with veins at a wide angle; the inflorescence, or group of flowers, are apparently terminally branched therefor generally are conspicuous; the large fruit size and often urn shape with deeply recessed valves.

BLOODWOOD BARK
Rough short fibred persistent bark on major limbs, becoming cracked into roughly rectangular more or less scaly pieces. The height to which the bark extends varies between species.

exception: E. citriodora, with smooth stems

BLOODWOOD LEAVES
Fine parallel secondary veins running across the leaf (penniveined) but at a wide angle (often 70-80 degrees, but can be 60 degrees) to the midrib. Can be confused with Tranversaria group leaves (but tertiary and finer venation differs).

BLOODWOOD FRUIT
Often with larger flowers borne in many flowered terminal inflorescences so are particularly showy (especially E. ptychocarpa, E. ficifolia, E. abergiana)

More or less ovoid fruits, with the opening contracted to form a neck. (The disc lines the neck.) The teeth or valves are enclosed within the fruits.

Sections/subsections/series are all shown this way. Species found only in gardens are identified, others all grow locally.

Underlined species are especially common close to Townsville

Eucalyptus subsection not known
Eucalyptus ligans

Corymbia (the bloodwoods)
Paper Fruited Bloodwoods (Blakella)
Angophora floribunda (not really in this group, but with a close affinity)
Eucalyptus tessellaris,Moreton Bay Ash, Carbeen
Eucalyptus dallachyana, Dallachy's Gum
Eucalyptus aspera, Brittle Range Gum, Desert Bloodwood, Snappy Gum, (Garden Only)

Grey Bloodwoods (Bark colour)
Eucalyptus lamprophylla, Shiny Leaved Bloodwood
Eucalyptus clarksoniana, Clarkson's Bloodwood
Eucalyptus polycarpa, Long Fruited Bloodwood
Eucalyptus maritima,
Eucalyptus dolichocarpa, Long Fruited Bloodwood
Eucalyptus intermedia, Pink Bloodwood
Eucalyptus abergiana, Range Bloodwood, Mountain Bloodwood
Eucalyptus ptychocarpa, Swamp Bloodwood (Gardens only)

Red Bloodwoods (Bark colour)
Eucalyptus terminalis, Desert Bloodwood, Western Bloodwood, Manna Bloodwood
Eucalyptus ferruginea, Rusty Bloodwood, (Garden only)
Eucalyptus setosa, Hairy Gum, Rough-Leaved Bloodwood
Eucalyptus erythrophloia, Red Bloodwood, Red Barked Bloodwood

Yellow Bloodwoods (Ochraria) (Bark colour)
V Eucalyptus leptoloma, (Symphyomyrtus?)
Eucalyptus leichhardtii, Rustyjacket Yellowjacket
Eucalyptus dimorpha, Variable Leaved Yellow Jacket was Eucalyptus pelltata subsp. dimorpha

Unusual Bloodwoods
Eucalyptus trachyphloia, Brown Bloodwood
Eucalyptus torelliana, Cadaghi

Smooth Barked Bloodwoods (Maculatae)
Eucalyptus citriodora, Lemon Scented Gum

Eudesmia
Eucalyptus similis, Inland Yellowjacket, (Gardens only)
Eucalyptus miniata, Darwin Woollybutt, (Gardens only)
Eucalyptus phoenicea, Scarlet Gum, (Gardens only)

Curtisianae (subgenus with 1 sp. only)
R Eucalyptus curtisii, Plunkett Mallee, (Gardens only)

Sepal Lobes (Idiogenes) (subgenus with 1 sp. only)
Eucalyptus cloeziana, Gympie Messmate

Single Bud Cap (Monocalyptus)
White Mahoganies (Acmenoideae)
Eucalyptus acmenoides, White Mahogany

Stringybarks (Capitellatae)
Eucalyptus reducta, Stringybark

Symphyomyrtus
Eastern Blue Gums (Transversaria)
Eucalyptus grandis, Flooded Gum, Rose Gum

Red Mahoganies (Transversaria, Annulares)
Eucalyptus robusta, Swamp Mahogany, (Gardens only)
Eucalyptus pellita, Large Fruited Red Mahogany
Eucalyptus resinifera, Red Mahogany

Protruding Valved Fruit (Symphyomyrtus, Exsertaria)
Uniform Smooth Barked (Albae)
Eucalyptus platyphylla, Poplar Gum, White Gum

Symphyomyrtus, Adnataria
Northern Boxes (Oliganthae)
Eucalyptus leptophleba, Molloy Red Box
Eucalyptus chlorophylla, Northern Grey Box, (Gardens only)
Eucalyptus coolabah subsp. coolabah, Coolibah, Coolabah
Eucalyptus pruinosa, Sliver Box, (Gardens only)

Misc. Eastern Boxes
Eucalyptus persistens
Eucalyptus cambageana, Dawson Gum, Dawson River Blackbutt
Eucalyptus brownii, Reid River Box
Eucalyptus orgadophila, Mountain Coolibah

Eastern Boxes (Moluccanae)
Eucalyptus moluccana, Grey Gum Topped Box

Sth. East. Aust. Mallee Boxes
Eucalyptus viridis, Green Mallee, (Gardens only)

Qld. Ironbarks (Crebrae) narrow leaved
R Eucalyptus quadricostata, Pentland Ironbark
Eucalyptus crebra, Narrow-leaved red ironbark, Narrow Leaved Ironbark
R Eucalyptus exilipes, Fine Leaved Ironbark
Eucalyptus granitica, Granite Ironbark
V Eucalyptus paedoglauca, Mt Stuart Ironbark
Eucalyptus xanthoclada, Yellow Branched Ironbark

Qld. Ironbarks (Crebrae) broad leaved
Eucalyptus shirleyi, Silver Leaved Ironbark, Shirley's Ironbark
Eucalyptus melanophloia, Silver Leaved Ironbark, Broad Leaved Ironbark

Small Fruited Gums (Telocalyptus, Equatoria)
V Eucalyptus raveretiana, Black Ironbox
R Eucalyptus howittiana, Howitt's Box

References:
Brooker; Kleinig; A Field Guide to Eucalypts, Vol 3, 1994
Updated with local knowledge by: Cummings, Russell
Townsend, K; Across The Top; 1994

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