Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western , Series 3

Volume 3 Number 5 September-October,1954 Article 14

9-1954

Trees of —woollybutt and gnaingar

C A. Gardner Department of Agriculture

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Recommended Citation Gardner, C A. (1954) "Trees of Western Australia—woollybutt and gnaingar," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3: Vol. 3 : No. 5 , Article 14. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3/vol3/iss5/14

This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ***&^&mm^m »»»»%»»»•»»»%»»»%»»»»•<» mj*%>mmmm^mmA • TREES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

By C. A. GARDNER, Government Botanist

mm****'*% .^.m»»«»^»»»-»-fc-i»-»-fc-»-»iii-n--*-***-*****^**^»"*****^** No. 29-WOOLLYBUTT (Eucalyptus miniata A. Cunn ex Schau.)

No. 30-GNAINGAR (Eucalyptus phoenicea F. Muell.)

HESE two trees differ from all other species of Eucalyptus in that their bark, on T the lower portions of the tree where it is persistent, is composed of numerous thin flakes almost like sheets of mica. These plates are traversed by fibres and on the older parts of the trunk, When the flakes have decayed, the fibres are left like a dense netting giving rise to the appearance from which the Woollybutt gets its name.

The name Woollybutt is scarcely appro­ A characteristic of the species is its priate since the fibres are straight and ability to flower freely when small. friable and not in the least like wool. The 4 to 6 ft. in height and probably 3 to names "Melaleuca gum" or "Cadjeput 4 years old from seed, are often very gum" are no more appropriate because floriferous and the flowers are often larger the flakes, although of the consistency of than those seen on older trees. These paper, are not like those of the tea tree, orange-vermilion blossoms contrasting and are much more friable. There is vividly with the powdery-white calyx, bud some resemblance between the bark of and branchlets, make the tree very attrac­ these trees and that of the birch tree hut tive and were it in cultivation in the tem­ here again the resemblance is not a close perate regions it would be a powerful rival one. to the red-flowered gum of South-Western The young flakes are yellow in colour Australia. The Woollybutt and the Gnain­ but become reddish-pink -with age, and the gar are the only two species which have more persistent fibres are pale brown. The these orange-vermilion flowers. upper part of the trunk and the branches are smooth and yellowish to white in The home of the Woollybutt in Western colour and the branchlets are powdery Australia is in the North Kimberley dist­ White on the Woollybutt but reddish rict where it is one of the commonest coloured in the Gnaingar. Both trees have trees of the rough sandstone and quart- flowers (filaments) of an intense orange- zite country of the Hann Plateau which vermilion or sometimes a yellowish-orange, lies to the north of the King Leopold Range and both have green, not glaucous leaves. and is hounded on the east side by the Elgie Cliffs and the Carr Boyd Range. The Woollybutt (Eucalyptus miniata A. Isolated areas carrying these trees occur Cunn. ex Schau.). on the Cockatoo Sands near the lower This tree attains a height of about 40 ft. reaches of the , also near Ele­ hut a fair average height is about 30 ft., phant Hill in the same district. To the the trunk being Tip to 13 ft. long and up to south and west we encounter smaller wood­ 2 ft in diameter. The timber is red and lands near Goody-Goody (not far from hard but susceptible to attacks from term­ Derby) and between Derby and Yeeda on ites. The branches spread -widely. the Fitzroy River. 589

Journal of agriculture Vol. 3 1954 WOOLLYBUTT (Eucalyptus miniata A. Cunn. ex Schau.). A—Leaves; B—Young iufloreseences (see below): C—Flowers ann An™,.- k„H.. ™ «, Regent River (an elongated form); lUectlon of ^•^T^TtSS' T? «^ I*™* seeds; K-Cotyledons. All except B and D are from the O^^^^^LZmtfSlZX t^ST (Gardner 1358). B represents material from ^^oSTXSa ££^£™S?J5: are enclosed In a hard globular structure which upturn * ^^^T^.T^^t^L —Icon, origin. 590

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Journal of agriculture Vol. 3 1954 In its main area of distribution the the evening star, it is possible that the Woollybutt is frequently associated with story of the burning on the pyre and the the Messmate (E. tetrodenta), but it reappearance of a new phoenix from the usually occurs as the principal and domin­ fire or ashes has originated from observa­ ant tree of the sandstone range country. tions of the planet). It extends across the Northern Territory Gnaingar was first collected by R. A. into Northern Queensland. Perry a few years ago in the vicinity of the Woollybutt was first collected by Alan Chamberlain River in East Kimberley. Cunningham who was the botanist with The accompanying plate was in part Captain Philip King about 1820. He found drawn from this collection. Since then I it in "craggy declivities near York Sound." have received excellent flowering material This striking tree flowers from about from Karungie on the , col­ the commencement of June until the end lected by Mr. David Rust. I have not seen of July. It produces nectar in abundance the living tree but the bark supplied by and the blossoms are much sought after Mr. Rust is very much like that of the by small birds of the parrot family, es­ Woollybutt. The Gnaingar is associated pecially budgerigars. The native bees fre­ with the Woollybutt, and this also holds quently make their hives in its hollow good for its distribution in the Northern trunks. Territory. The name miniata is taken from the Latin miniatus (coloured with cinnabar), BOTANICAL DESCRIPTIONS which is what we call orange-vermilion, Eucalyptus miniata A. Cunn. ex Schau. the colour of the filaments of the flowers. Tree attaining a height of about 40 ft. with a trunk up to 2 ft. in diameter, the Gnaingar (Eucalyptus phoenicea F. Muell.). bark persistent on the greater part of the The Gnaingar is much like the Woolly­ trunk; the branches smooth and white or butt in appearance but is a much smaller yellowish-white, the branchlets powdery- tree and the branchlets are reddish and white; timber reddish-brown, hard and angular and not powdery-white like those dense. Leaves alternate, broadly lance- of the Woollybutt. The flowers also are shaped or ovate-lanceolate, stalked, the very different in shape and much more blade narrowed into the stalk, the apex numerous in clusters although they re­ acute, dark green and almost shining on semble those of the Woollybutt in their the upper side, paler underneath, the orange coloured or vermilion tonings. lateral nerves spreading and fine, the in- Mueller, who described this tree from tramarginal nerve close to the leaf- the vicinity of the Victoria River named margin. it Eucalyptus phoenicea from the cinna­ bar colour of the filaments in allusion to Flowers in umbels of 3-7, lateral or in the fiery crimson plumage of the mythical the axils of the leaves, the (com­ bird, the phoenix. mon stalk) stout, spreading or recurved, terete or slightly flattened, expanded at The phoenix in Egyptian mythology was the summit. Flowers on very short pedi­ the "Great Bennu" which lived at Khenen- cels scarcely distinguishable from the base su, identified with Heliopolis, the City of of the calyx, the buds 6-10-ribbed, the the Sun and the centre of worship of the operculum obtuse . calyx-tube narrow- Sun God. The phoenix resembled an eagle campanulate, the operculum hemispheri­ and had feathers that were red and gold cal or ovoid, about half as long as the in colour. It was sacred to the Sun God calyx-tube, comparatively thin. Stamens and in the best-known version of the numerous, the filaments incurved in the myth, the bird was supposed to appear bud, the anthers large, attached by the once in every 500 years and build a pyre middle, opening in distinct longitudinal on which it was burnt—a new phoenix slits. Style elongated, rather slender, the arising from the ashes. (Some authorities upper portion external to the stamens in identify this mythical bird with the planet the bud and then recurved, later straight Venus which, as the morning star, was or flexuose. Fruit urn-shaped or almost the guide to the Sun God. Since this cylindrical, over an inch in length, con­ planet after passing the sun reappears as tracted at the summit, the deeply

Journal of agriculture Vol. 3 1954 GNAINGAR (Eucalyptus phoenicea, F. Muell).

A—Branchlet and leaves; B—Flower-buds and peduncle; C—Section of flower-bud (after Mueller); D—Anthers (after Maideji); E—Young fruits (after Mueller); F—Fruits; G—Section of fruit; (A, F and G, Ferry 3081). —Icon, composlt.

594

Journal of agriculture Vol. 3 1954 sunk, 3-valved, the valves short and Flowers in axillary clusters, on long deeply included. Flowering season June to slender peduncles, the flowers up to six­ August. teen in the umbel, on slender pedicels, the buds pear-shaped. Calyx-tube narrowly Eucalyptus phoenicea F. Muell. bell-shaped or almost pear-shaped, A tree usually of slender growth, up to smooth, the operculum very much shorter 25 ft. tall, the trunk with a papery-flaky and obtusely hemispherical to ovoid. somewhat fibrous bark, the upper portion Stamens numerous, all perfect, the fila­ and branches smooth, the branches red­ ments inflected in the bud; anthers versa­ dish, slender, and angular. Leaves much tile, broad, opening in longitudinal dis­ like those of E. miniata but smaller, of a tinct slits; style slender, straight. pale green, alternate or here and there Fruit narrowly urn-shaped to almost opposite, of the same colour on both ellipsoidal or almost cylindrical, usually surfaces, on rather long stalks, the mid­ with a distinct 'neck' below the orifice, rib prominent, the lateral nerves fairly 1-1.5 in. long, many-ribbed, abruptly con­ numerous and irregular, the intramarginal tracted into the stalk, the capsule deeply nerve subcontiguous with the leaf-margin. included with very short obtuse valves.

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Journal of agriculture Vol. 3 1954