Kingdom Plantae Family Myrtaceae Rank Species | Order Myrtales Genus Eucalyptus | |
Similar Eucalyptus accedens, Eucalyptus eremophila, Eucalyptus salubris, Eucalyptus flocktoniae, Eucalyptus drummondii | ||
Eucalyptus longicornis, or red morrell is a mallee that is native to Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the tree as Morryl, Poot or Put.
Contents
Description
The tree typically grows to a height of 2 to 24 metres (7 to 79 ft) and can reach as high as 30 m (98 ft). It has rough grey brown fibrous bark that is often fissured. It blooms between December and February producing white flowers. The tree a distinctive crown of glossy green leaves crowded towards the end of the branches. The adult leaves are disjunct, glossy, green, thick and concolorous. The blade has a narrow lanceolate shape that is not falcate, but is basally tapered. The petioles are narrowly flattened or channelled. When it flowers it produces a simple and axillary conflorescence with three to eleven flowered umbellasters on terete peduncles.
Seed capsules form and persist on trees until at least the following year and often longer. The capsules contain over 200 seeds per gram.
Distribution
It is distributed through the Wheatbelt and southern Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. It is found growing in loamy soils, often over limestone or clay loam on flats. The dark red loams, that are rich in minerals and often slightly saline, associated with the decomposition of the fine-grained dolerite gneiss dykes and outcropping units of the Yilgarn Block best suit the tree.
Ecology
The species is usually found in woodland communities where it makes up part of the overstorey often as a pure stand but it can occur with Eucalyptus salmonophloia and Eucalyptus melanoxylon, and sometimes with Eucalyptus wandoo, Eucalyptus loxophleba, Eucalyptus astringens and Eucalyptus kondininensis. Associated species in the understorey include Sclerolaena diacantha, Lycium australe, Melaleuca merrallii, Melaleuca pauperiflora and Rhagodia drummondii.
Uses
E. longicornis is a tall tree with potential to be cultivated on highly alkaline, saline and clayey soils It rates highly as an ornamental and as a windbreak species and is useful for apiculture. The wood of this species was used historically in the mining industry as a source of timber and fuelwood. The fine-textured, reddish to dark red-brown wood has considerable potential for use in high value furniture and craftwood.