Eucalyptus dura


Eucalyptus dura is a species of small to medium sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It has rough, dark grey to black "ironbark", lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and conical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus dura is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has dark grey to black ironbark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey to cream-coloured bark on branches less than in diameter. Young plans and coppice regrowth have lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves long and wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, sometimes curved, long and wide on a petiole long. The leaves are the same or a similar glossy green on both sides. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on the end of branchlets on a branched peduncle long, the individual buds on a pedicel long. Mature buds are oval to pear-shaped, long and wide with a conical operculum that is narrower and shorter than the floral cup. Flowering mainly occurs from April to June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, conical capsule long and wide on a pedicel long with the valves below the level of the rim.

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus dura was first formally described in 1991 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill from a specimen collected from Turkey Mountain in the Barakula State Forest in 1984. The specific epithet is a Latin word meaning "hard" or "tough", referring to the bark of this tree.

Distribution and habitat

This ironbark grows in grassy and dry forests in sandy soil, usually on higher places. It occurs between the Biggenden, Chinchilla and Boonah districts in south-east Queensland.

Uses

Essential oils

The leaves of E. dura are rich in oils, particularly β-phellandrene and 1,8-cineole. These oils may be suitable for development of a bacteriostat.

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