Palmwoods
District News

February
1999

Page 8

Feature of the Eucalypt
by Trish Swindells

IDENTIFYING eucalypts is a challenging experience, as we were to learn when looking at trees for the Heritage Tree Walk project. The leaves of most local eucalypts are superficially similar, so looking at the type of bark and appearance of the canopy or crown of the tree, will also help to pin point its individuality.

About half of the 550 species of eucalypts are Smooth- Barked. Here the outer bark is regularly shed, usually in summer. There is a great diversity of bark colours : E. Propinqua is bright orange after barkshed; E. Tereticomis has subtle cvolours of blue and grey; E. Maculata can be white throughout its trunk, with sometimes shades of pink or cream, with distinctive dimpled dark grey patches; E. Signata is pure white after barkshed, with fascinating zig zag pattems from tunnelling insect larvae.

Then there is the Fibrous-Barks, the group of eucalypts including E. Resinifera, E. Robusta and E. Microcorys (Tallow Wood) The bark on these trees is often rough, fibrous and persistent throughout, with corky patches. The group Bloodwoods also have rough, persistent bark - these include E. Intermedia and E Cloeziana. Probably the most easily recognised eucalypts are the Ironbarks.

Here the bark is dark grey or black, hard, deeply furrowed and persisting to the smaller branches. E. Crebra and E. Drepanophylla are among the Ironbark group. The Half-Barks often have a stocking of rough bark on the lower half of the trunk, while the upper trunk and branches are smooth and white. Blackbutt or E. Pilularis is a Half-Bark one of the most common trees found in the Palmwoods area.0ften the bark of trees in this group is shed in long, conspicuous ribbons. 0ne eucalypt alone can support and protect a teeming array of birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. For people, their distinctive Australian charm can provide a place of relief from the hustle of everyday living. The Heritage Tree Walk Project will help to perpetuate this important local resource.

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