Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate Stringybark)

Eucalyptus obliqua in Wellington Botanical Garden, Wellington Region, North Island of New Zealand

Photograph by Krzysztof Golik. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Eucalyptus obliqua (stringy bark). Location: Maui, Hosmers Grove

Photograph by Forest & Kim Starr. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Credits:
Description, Habitat and Distribution information is sourced from: G.M.Chippendale (2017) Eucalyptus obliqua. In: Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Eucalyptus%20obliqua Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license.

Growth Characteristics information is sourced from: State Flora Catalog, Government of South Australia Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license.

PLANT FACTS

distribution map showing range of Eucalyptus obliqua in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License

Common Name
Messmate Stringybark

Description
Tree to 90 m. Bark fibrous, stringy, furrowed throughout, grey to red-brown. Juvenile leaves ovate, oblique, often shortly acuminate; shining. Adult leaves broadly lanceolate, acuminate, lamina 10-15 cm long, 1.5-3.3 cm wide, dark green, shining; lateral veins just visible, at 20° -30° ; intramarginal vein c. 1 mm from margin; petiole channelled, 7-17 mm long. Umbels with 11 or more flowers; peduncle angular or flattened, 4-15 mm long; pedicels 1-6 mm long. Buds clavate; operculum hemispherical, apiculate, 1-2 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; hypanthium obconical, 2-4 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Fruits ovoid, subglobular, barrel-shaped or urceolate, 6-11 mm long, 5-9 mm wide; disc level or steeply descending; valves 3 or 4, level to included. Seeds brown.

Habitat
Grows on hills or mountains, in tall open forest.

Distribution
Occurs in Qld, N.S.W., Vic. Tas., and S.A., from the Darling Downs southwards to the Mt Gambier area, Mt Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Is.

Growth Characteristics
Height (m): 15 - 40
Spread (m): 12 - 25
Soil Texture: loam, clay
Soil pH: acid soils, neutral soils
Frost Sensitivity: moderately sensitive
Minimum Rainfall (mm): 800
Flower Colour: white
Flower Season: summer

(source: SA State Flora Catalog)

Classification

Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	obliqua
Common Name:	Messmate Stringybark

Relatives in same Genus
  Eucalyptus acaciiformis
  Eucalyptus accedens
  Eucalyptus acies
  Eucalyptus albens
  Eucalyptus bancroftii
  Eucalyptus baxteri
  Eucalyptus caleyi
  Eucalyptus camaldulensis
  Eucalyptus camphora
  Eucalyptus cloeziana
  Eucalyptus crebra
  Eucalyptus crenulata
  Eucalyptus curtisii
  Eucalyptus dealbata
  Eucalyptus dumosa
  Eucalyptus eugenioides
  Eucalyptus forrestiana
  Eucalyptus goniocalyx
  Eucalyptus grandis
  Eucalyptus intertexta
  Eucalyptus largiflorens
  see A-Z list for more ...