tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24167779080870990812024-02-18T21:47:29.171-08:00Gardening St IvesFor the people of St Ivespropertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-55895672573493224832013-10-09T20:34:00.001-07:002013-10-09T20:34:36.291-07:00Lilac care<p> If you can't plant the lilac right away, soak the roots as described above, then plant the lilac temporarily in a holding bed. Set the lilac at an angle ("heeled") and entirely pack the roots with soil. Add additional soil and keep the soil moist until you are ready to plant.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBmNlJ7QOI5X0Ie72ZBFaPRqRmMdJHRz1q-6VuZTFGHcUfdtb2O-QjFMW5MRfvg3FVxR3RuiyyarkHH5W1Abgp66h5lvZJ3FW-GHtO3FIdGile98VIb6PQXDXErBsIw2yzXpPlBD06bJU/s640/2013%2525202%25253A29%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBmNlJ7QOI5X0Ie72ZBFaPRqRmMdJHRz1q-6VuZTFGHcUfdtb2O-QjFMW5MRfvg3FVxR3RuiyyarkHH5W1Abgp66h5lvZJ3FW-GHtO3FIdGile98VIb6PQXDXErBsIw2yzXpPlBD06bJU/s500/2013%2525202%25253A29%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1381376071790.053" class="alignright" width="334" height="222" alt=""></a></div>
<p>There are four important areas of lilac care:</p>
<p>sunlight</p>
<p>drainage</p>
<p>soil</p>
<p>pruning</p>
<p>Choosing the planting site: Avoid planting lilacs along walls or among large trees (or trees that will grow tall). Use complementary shrubs, plants, or other garden outcroppings to enhance the appearance before and after bloom. Space lilacs no less than 6 to 10 feet apart. Crowding requires more frequent and drastic pruning.</p>
<p>Sunlight: Make good use of available sunlight; try a south or southwest spot out of the way of doors or windows. Lilacs require a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight daily. The amount of sunlight dictates the appearance, color, and quantity of bloom. Too much sunlight is better than not enough.</p>
<p>Drainage: Good drainage is characterized by the soil's ability to retain sufficient moisture to nourish the root system while still being able to drain off excess moisture. Lilacs do not thrive in soggy soil.</p>
<p>Before planting, try digging a hole about 8 inches in diameter by 12 inches deep. Fill the hole with water. If the water has not drained after one hour, improve the drainage or move the plant to another site.</p>
<p>To improve drainage:</p>
<p>Remove the topsoil from the actual planting site (an area equal to 2 to 3 times the lilac's root system) and reserve.</p>
<p>Mix sand and/or fine gravel 6 to 10 inches deep into the subsoil (not the topsoil)</p>
<p>Mix the reserved topsoil with peat, vermiculite or other porous amendment to cover the root system when the lilac is planted.</p>
<p>Planting</p>
<p>The planting hole should be deep and wide enough to accommodate the plant's root system. We recommend adding compost, bonemeal or an all-purpose fertilizer to the planting hole. If your soil is acidic, add some garden lime.</p>
<p>When planting, place the top of the root ball level with the surface of the hole. If the lilac is bareroot, the top layer of roots should be a few inches below the surface. When filling in with soil, it is important to water well, but do not flood, and avoid compacting the soil around the root system. The idea is to remove air pockets, yet keep the soil porous.</p>
<p>Remember to water your lilacs regularly throughout the summer. During the dry season, water more frequently to keep the leaves robust, not limp.</p>
<p>Fertilizing</p>
<p>Fertilizer should be applied at the base of the plant early each spring to help provide the plant with nutrients for the coming year. Buds are set the previous year so the fertilizer will feed this year's leaves and next year's bloom. We recommend our Organic Flower Fertilizer.</p>
<p>Lilacs love a sweet soil. If your soil is acidic, adding garden lime in the fall will help the soil stay alkaline.</p>
<p>Mulching</p>
<p>Using mulch will help hold water in the soil and reduce heat stress. If you see the leaves getting limp during summer it is a sign that the plant needs to be watered.</p>
<p>Deadheading</p>
<p>If you have a repeat-blooming variety, such as Josée, deadheading will will stimulate the production of new flower and leaf buds. All lilac varieties benefit from annual deadheading.</p>
<p>Pruning</p>
<p>Lilacs do not require annual pruning, but cutting off blooms from main stems within a week after blooms have faded will help the plant concentrate on preparing more flower buds and not seeds. If your lilacs become too tall, and the number of blooms declines, you can rejuvenate the plant by cutting one-third of all main stems that have a diameter of at least 1.5 inches.</p>
<p>Cut these main stems down to 12 to 15 inches from the soil. This will stimulate the growth of new shoots. Pruning in this way over a three-year period will refresh the plant while it still continues to flower.</p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted by The Zeal Group. Call us on 1300882787" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted by The Zeal Group. Call us on 1300882787</a></div>propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-70089039555049775462013-10-05T02:43:00.001-07:002013-10-05T02:57:22.937-07:00Cyathea australis Cyathea australis Cyathea cooperi stem Rough Tree Fern Cyathea cooperi <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="assets-library://asset/asset.JPG?id=3952730B-520E-4045-9877-455EACB9A4BB&ext=JPG" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br>
</a></div>
<h4> <br>
Cyathea australis<br>
Cyathea australis<br>
Cyathea cooperi stem<br>
Rough Tree Fern<br>
Cyathea cooperi<br>
Lacy Tree Fern<br>
Cyathea australis (R.Br.) Domin<br>
Cyathea cooperi (Hook. ex F.Muell.) Domin<br>
Tree-ferns are the largest of the ferns and can provide a spectacular addition to most gardens. The tree-ferns Cyathea australis and Cyathea cooperi are commonly grown in gardens and displays for this aesthetic appeal and their hardiness. Both of these species are of the fern family Cyatheraceae.</h4>
<p> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm_8PB2Q8vW4LqtnIebm5mTwBOUXqgvCYXT1rbsRC6HozGTdfpuEcBbQroOsesFjsfJ2JZ_mXBQHoyLtC9uwckdEAstkydt-eWeh7n38vkH9OXI1gF4CnO-CCeHNAIv74HHwPPR3KaB0/s844/2013%2525207%25253A50%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm_8PB2Q8vW4LqtnIebm5mTwBOUXqgvCYXT1rbsRC6HozGTdfpuEcBbQroOsesFjsfJ2JZ_mXBQHoyLtC9uwckdEAstkydt-eWeh7n38vkH9OXI1gF4CnO-CCeHNAIv74HHwPPR3KaB0/s500/2013%2525207%25253A50%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1380967038503.5671" class="aligncenter" width="500" height="664" alt=""></a></div>
<h4><br>
C. australis is commonly known as the Rough Tree Fern due to the presence of adventitious roots, tubercles (knobbly bits) and masses of hair-like scales on its ‘trunk’. The ‘trunk’ like structure on a tree-fern is actually a greatly enlarged rhizome! The horticultural appeal of C. australis is not only due to its beautiful looks but also because it is an extremely hardy species, even capable of tolerating direct sun when the roots are wet. It is also a robust tub plant and is unusual in that it is tolerant of salty winds. C. australis is thus a popular, cold-hardy tree-fern, adaptable to a variety of climates and soils.<br>
C. cooperi, the Lacy Tree Fern, derives this name from its delicate fronds. It is also known as the Australian Tree Fern as it is one of the most commonly grown Australian tree-ferns.<br>
C. cooperi is quite distinctive from C. australis in that it has a more slender trunk with distinctive "coin spots" where old fronds have broken off the trunk. C. cooperi fronds are bright green and lacy and tend to be very fast growing. There are several major horticultural varieties of this fern including Cyathea ‘Brentwood’ which has paler fronds and scales and C. ‘Robusta’ which tends to be darker in both characters. C. cooperi is the one of the most popular tree ferns, along with Dicksonia antarctica due to its rapid growth form, hardiness and aesthetic appeal.</h4>
<h4><br>
Distribution:</h4>
<h4><br>
C. australis is found along much of the east coast of Australia, extending right down into Tasmania. It prefers moist mountain areas and can grow on dryer slopes then most other tree ferns.<br>
C. cooperi is naturally found in tropical lowlands, along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales.</h4>
<h4><br>
Propagation:</h4>
<h4><br>
These two species cannot be propagated vegetatively (unlike some other tree-ferns) as they do not produce offsets from the trunk or roots. Propagation from spores must therefore be employed; for detail of these steps please see this page: http://www.anbg.gov.au/ferns/fern.spore.prop.html<br>
Maintenance<br>
Tree-ferns grow best in high humidity and high soil moisture conditions. It is therefore important to use good-quality mulches and to top them up regularly as this will not only keep the soil moist but also provide nutrients to the shallow root system. Tree-ferns usually respond well to organic fertilizers and well-rotted animal manures, C. cooperi especially as it tends to display particularly vigorous growth.<br>
Though a wide range of pests attack ferns they rarely cause significant damage. If outbreaks do occur tree-ferns can be treated with the standard array of organic and non-organic pesticides. It has been found that the use of fertilizers can reduce a tree-ferns susceptibility to attack. Thus by providing adequate food, water and shelter you will be able to grow beautiful and healthy tree-ferns in your own garden!<br>
Text by Ali Heydon (Botanical Intern 2003)<br>
Derivation of the names:<br>
Cyathea - from the Greek 'kyatheion' meaning little cup, referring to the structure that holds the spores.<br>
australis - means southern, or 'of the southern hemisphere'.<br>
cooperi - named by Mueller in honour of Sir Daniel Cooper (1821-1902) Member of the old NSW LegislativeCouncil from 1849 and the new LegislativeAssembly after responsible government was granted in1856. He was elected the first Speaker of the LegislativeAssembly and held that office until his resignation in1860.</h4>
<h1 align="left" style="margin-bottom: 5px; font-weight: 100; font-size: 2.4em; color: rgb(92, 102, 101); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: normal; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><p> </p></h1>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted by The Zeal Group. Call us on 1300882787" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted by The Zeal Group. Call us on 1300882787</a></div>propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-46725971427473341122013-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:002013-09-28T14:52:29.204-07:00Plants And Potassium<h1></h1>
<h1><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Using Potassium And Potassium Deficiency Plants</span></font></h1>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The effects of potassium on plants is well known in that it improves how well a plant grows and produces but exactly why and how is not known. As a gardener, you do not need to know the why and how in order to be hurt by a potassium deficiency in plants. Keep reading to learn more about how potassium affects the plants in your garden and how to correct a potassium deficiency.</span></font></h4>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font></h4>
<h1><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Effects Of Potassium On Plants</span></font></h1>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Potassium is important to plant growth and development. Potassium helps:<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Plants grow faster<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Use water better and be more drought resistant<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Fight off disease<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Resist pests<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Grow stronger<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Produce more crops<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">With all plants, potassium assists all functions within the plant. When a plant has enough potassium, it will simply be a better overall plant.<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Signs Of Potassium Deficiency In Plants<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Potassium deficiency in plants will cause a plant to perform more poorly overall than it should. Because of this reason, it can be difficult to see specific signs of potassium deficiency in plants.<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">When severe potassium deficiency happens, you may be able to see some signs in the leaves. The leaves, especially older leaves, may have brown spots, yellow edges, yellow veins or brown veins.</span></font></h4>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font></h4>
<h1><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">What Is In Potassium Fertiliser</span></font></h1>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Potassium fertilizer is sometimes called potash fertilizer. This is because potassium fertilizers often contain a substance called potash. Potash is a naturally occurring substance that occurs when wood is burned away or can be found in mines and the ocean.<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">While potash is technically a naturally occurring substance, only certain kinds of potassium fertilizers containing potash are considered organic.<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Some sources refer to high potassium fertilizer. This is simply a fertilizer that is exclusively potassium or has a high K value.d</span></font></h4>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">If you wish to add potassium to your soil at home, you can do so in several ways without having to use potash or other commercial potassium fertilizer. Compost made primarily from food byproducts is an excellent source of potassium. In particular, banana peels are very high in potassium.<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Wood ash can also be used, but make sure that you apply wood ash only lightly as too much can burn your plants.</span></font></h4>
<h4><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Greensand, which is available from most nurseries, will also add potassium to you garden.<br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Because potassium deficiency in plants can be hard to spot through looking at the plant, it is always a good idea to have your soil tested before adding more potassium.</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br>
</span></font><font size="5"><span style="line-height: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></font></h4>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted by The Zeal Group. Call us on 1300882787" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted by The Zeal Group. Call us on 1300882787</a></div>propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-45339626316513812162013-09-08T16:14:00.001-07:002013-09-08T16:58:46.852-07:00Know your Eucalypts, if not this article will help you Identify them.<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
Know your Eucalypts, if not this article will help you Identify them.</h3>
<div class="post-header" style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6234772566071165156" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; width: 586px;">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Introduction</span></h5>
Eucalypts are almost a defining feature of Australia. They are the dominant tree of the higher rainfall areas of the country, and sparsely represented in the driest regions. There are nearly 900 species which have adapted to nearly every environment. In EUCLID we include the long-standing genus Angophora, which is exclusive to eastern Australia excluding Tasmania, and the recently recognised Corymbia, occurring primarily in northern Australia.<br />
Eucalypts must have been known by Europeans from the early 16th century when the Portuguese colonised Timor. There are at least two indigenous species, E. alba and E. urophylla on the island. Following the Portuguese occupation, it is probable that eucalypts were established from seed in Brazil which was colonised about the same time, although records are too hazy to confirm this. Eucalyptus came into recorded history in 1788 when the French botanist, L'Héritier de Brutelle, described Eucalyptus obliqua, the well known Messmate of widespread distribution in the wetter regions of the south-east of the continent. This species was named from a specimen collected at Adventure Bay on Tasmania's Bruny Island by David Nelson, one of the botanists on Captain James Cook's third voyage in 1777.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="evolution" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166161.254" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> and distributio</span></h5>
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/map_eucorigin.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Map of eucalypt distribution" class="" height="183" id="blogsy-1340901166166.3896" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/map_eucorigin_sml.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="210" /></a>Eucalypts are likely to have evolved from rainforest precursors in response to great changes in the landscape, soils and climate of the continent. No point of origin is possible to determine but it is assumed to have been on the Australian landmass from which several species have migrated probably by land bridges to islands north of the continent.<br />
One species, E. deglupta, is distributed as far as the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines which places one eucalypt naturally in the northern hemisphere. However, the genus is now cultivated world-wide in tropical and temperate countries and in some places has become naturalised.<br />
Eucalypts are now of great importance commercially in other countries, particularly South Africa, China, India and Brazil and to a lesser extent in central and northern Africa and in Mediterranean countries. They have many advantages apart from the timber and fibre which are the basis of huge paper industries. Eucalypts are also notable for their oils, use in lowering water tables, horticulture, shade and simple ornamentation, largely for the bark features and colourful flowers in many species.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Identifying eucalypts</span></h5>
Innumerable books have been published on eucalypts. Some include a wide range of information on a regional basis, others concentrate on the more spectacular flowering species while others specialise in identification. Identification has always been regarded as difficult, partly due to the lack of instruction on specific botanical characteristics. Understanding the eucalypt plant is a vital element in attempting the identification process.<br />
It is a fact that, to the uninitiated, most eucalypt species tend to look the same, and while taxa in some groups are indeed difficult to distinguish, in general there are good features and clear characteristics to use in identification. In EUCLID we have made particular effort to explain specific eucalypt features and to aid identification.<br />
Eucalypt leaf morphology provides a range of diagnostic features as well as injects a level of confusion in the change from seedling to juvenile to sapling to adult leaves that takes place in the majority of species. In eucalypts there is a striking array of juvenile or seedling leaf types from opposite and completely connate pairs of leaves (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/uncinata8.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. uncinata</a>), to crowded and spirally arranged short linear leaves (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/brockwayi9.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. brockwayi</a>), to disjunct petiolate ovate leaves (many species, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/obliqua8.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. obliqua</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/ewartiana8.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. ewartiana</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/terminalis9.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. terminalis</a>), even leaves with peltate leaf bases (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/citriodora8a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. citriodora</a>). The descriptions accompanying every species in EUCLID include details of seedling, juvenile and adult leaves.<br />
Some species never, or seldom, develop true adult leaves in the mature crown but instead retain their juvenile leaf phase where the leaves are commonly glaucous and rounded. This condition is rare in eastern Australian species but is notable in E. risdonii an endemic to Tasmania and in E. cinerea of New South Wales and Victoria. In south-western Western Australia many more species have the glaucous crown, probably the most spectacular being the glaucous-leaved <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/macrocarpa_elachantha1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. macrocarpa</a> which produces large red flowers. Across northern Australia there are fewer species with these characteristics but the widespread tropical box <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/pruinosa3a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. pruinosa</a>, the abundant Queensland and New South Wales ironbark E. melanophloia, the highly restricted Kimberley endemic<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/ceracea3a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. ceracea</a> and the well-known desert mallee or tree <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/gamophylla1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. gamophylla</a> are examples with the crown of retained glaucous juvenile leaves.<br />
<div align="center">
<img alt="Variation in flower colours: E. sideroxylon, E. leucoxylon, C. ficifolia, E. phoenicea and C. ptychocarpa" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166093.672" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_flws_single.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="616" /></div>
In south-eastern Australia, nearly all eucalypt species have green leaves of roughly similar size and fairly inconspicuous white flowers. Only two species in south-eastern Australia, E. sideroxylon and E. leucoxylon, can have strongly coloured flowers; in south-western Australia C. ficifolia, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/erythrocorys4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. erythrocorys</a> and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/caesia_magna5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. caesia</a> provide examples of species with spectacular flowers. A few tropical species have brilliantly coloured flowers, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/miniata5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. miniata</a>, E. phoenicea, C. ptychocarpa and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/cadophora_pliantha5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. cadophora subsp. pliantha</a>.<br />
Eucalypt fruits (gumnuts) also show great diversity in form and size with the smallest occurring in northern Australia, e.g. E. raveretiana in central Queensland, E. brachyandra in north-western Australia, and among the largest being E. gigantangion from the Top End of the Northern Territory, C. abergiana from the Atherton area of Queensland, C. calophylla from the Perth area in Western Australia, and E. youngiana from the Great Victoria Desert of South Australia and adjacent areas of Western Australia. There is great variation in size between these extremes throughout the country, but in south-eastern Australia fruits tend to be smaller than elsewhere.<br />
<div align="center">
<img alt="Variation in fruit widths: E. raveretiana, E. brachyandra, E. gigantangion, C. abergiana and E. youngiana" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166156.6016" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_fruits.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="616" /></div>
So the problems of identification in EUCLID for eastern Australian species usually fall back on the less conspicuous and accessible but highly diagnostic characters, often ones that may be less relevant in other plant groups, and this is also true in other parts of the country. In Western Australia or northern Australia, however, if the tree or mallee has brightly coloured flowers or has very large or very small fruit, identification may be easier.<br />
In working with eucalypts in the field it is important to recognise whether the trees are cultivated, or occur naturally. If cultivated, they could be from anywhere in Australia and the identification cannot take into account <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/bioregions.htm" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">the geographic regions used in EUCLID</a>. If identifying a specimen from a natural stand then geographic regions can aid in making an identification but it is not essential if the specimen has sufficient morphological features.<br />
To aid identification the observer in the field also needs to take into account other aspects of the specimen, viz. the height of the plant, the number of stems or trunks, the colour of the crown, the overall appearance of the crown to determine if it is composed of juvenile or adult leaves, general size of the leaves (very small, e.g. E. parvula or E. kruseana, or very large, e.g. E. globulus) and the type of bark, basically, whether rough or smooth, and extent of coverage by the rough bark of the smaller branchlets. The observer also needs bear in mind there is often considerable variation in some characters between trees of the same species in one population, especially in size of parts, such as length and width of leaves, length of petioles, bud sizes, lengths of peduncles and pedicels, and fruit dimensions and position of the disc relative to the rim of the fruit.<br />
<div class="top" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;">
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="inspection" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166149.868" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Inspection of specimens</span></h5>
<img alt="A weighted length of rope can be thrownover a low branch which can then be broken off for close inspection of the parts" class="" height="347" id="blogsy-1340901166085.7124" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_rope.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="160" />The 'internal' features of the eucalypt plant, such as the number of opercula in the bud, arrangement of stamens, number of ovule rows and seed shape, are usually more reliable for identification than the 'external' features. They are relatively protected from the elements and from various forms of predation. They are the parts that require handling and close inspection or even dissection, as opposed to macro observation. Specimens for study may be obtained in several ways from a living tree. Sampling smaller trees and mallees is usually easy because the leaves and flowering structures are often at about head height and no sophisticated methods of collection are needed. For most trees, however, a weighted length of rope can be thrown over a low branch which can then be broken off with a sharp tug and pulled to the ground for close inspection of the parts (shown in image). Alternatively, for trees of moderate height, pole pruners can be used less destructively than the weighted rope. For tall trees it is a curious fact that the flowers and fruits are small and scarcely visible to the unaided eye, e.g. E. regnans. Then the canopy needs to be inspected with binoculars and a useful branch selected. If it is above rope-throwing height, the branch may be reached with the use of a <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/shanghai.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">shanghai</a> by shooting a lead weight attached to a fine, light line over the branch and then attaching a thicker, stronger rope to one end of this line and then pulling this line up over the branch. Often the smallest trees or mallees have the largest buds and fruits, e.g. E. pyriformis. These plants are the easiest to sample, examine and assess.<br />
The whole process of identification begins in the field with broad external assessment and ends with microscopic examination. The characters in this sequence of investigations have reliabilities that vary from very low to high and finally absolute. With experience the user is able to weigh up these relative values and apply them with confidence.<br />
In summary it might be said that the number of opercula on the developing flower bud is of absolute reliability, staminal inflexion, ovule row numbers and seed shape are of high reliability, bud numbers, flower colour and bark type of medium reliability, leaf colour of low reliability, bark colour of very low reliability. External features are very susceptible to seasonal and intra-population variability.<br />
When choosing a specimen for identification there are some things to be avoided. For example always choose 'typical' leaves on the specimen for assessment, avoiding the largest and the smallest. Similarly, be cautious when using fruit that are lying on the ground, especially if in a mixed eucalypt species stand, for they may not belong to the tree under which they are found. When searching for juvenile leaves make sure they belong to the tree or mallee you are investigating – if there is any doubt do not use them. A mixed species stand may produce a variety of juvenile leaves. Time spent looking at both adult and juvenile growth in a stand will be very rewarding.<br />
If an identification is proving difficult then growing of seedlings may be a help in resolving it. Obviously this slows down the process, but valuable information can be obtained from observing seedling growth, firstly the shape of the cotyledons and secondly whether the leaves become disjunct early in growth or persist as opposite for many pairs. The shape of seedling leaves, whether they are stalked or stalkless and other leaf features can help also.<br />
<div class="top" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;">
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="habit" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="habit1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<div class="letter">
Understanding some of the important characters in the eucalypts, will aid in the process of identification. Descriptive information on some of the important parts of the eucalypt plant follows.</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166151.7112" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Habit</span></h5>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2"><h3 style="margin: 0px 0px -5px; position: relative;">
</h3>
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Tree - erect single-stemmed woody plant with various crown forms. The definition of tree deliberately has no upper or lower height limit. If the user finds it difficult to decide whether the specimen is a tree or a shrub it is probably better to avoid using this character. The definition of tree includes the two special categories in common usage only in Western Australia - mallet and marlock (see more below). Note that a tree may have a lignotuber at the base of the trunk and epicormic shoots on the trunk or stems, or lack either or both of these means of vegetative recovery after disturbance such as fire.</td><td valign="top"><div align="center">
<img alt="" class="" height="200" id="blogsy-1340901166085.578" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/treea.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="285" /><span class="letter">Tree</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Mallee or shrub - a mallee is a woody plant that is multistemmed from ground level and seldom taller than 10 m. In eucalypts a shrub is a low growing and reproductively mature plant, that may be less than 1 m tall, and is usually growing in an extreme environment. There is no clear distinction between mallee and shrub.A mallee has at the base of the stems a woody structure, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/lignotube.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">the lignotuber</a>, that has numerous dormant buds that enable vegetative recovery after fire or other disturbance. The term mallee is often applied to eucalypts and has wide currency in southern Australia. Shrub is infrequently applied to eucalypts, good examples being <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/vernicosa1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. vernicosa</a> in high mountain areas of Tasmania, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/yalatensis1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. yalatensis</a> on the Nullarbor Plain and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/surgens1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. surgens</a>atop coastal cliffs at Toolinna Cove in Western Australia. Naturally low-growing marlock plants are included here as well as below, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/mcquoidei1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. mcquoidii</a> which may be reproductive at about 0.4 m tall.</td><td valign="top"><div align="center">
<img alt="" class="" height="250" id="blogsy-1340901166146.617" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/C002S2A.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="255" /><span class="letter">Mallee (top) or Shrub (bottom)</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Mallet or marlock (only applies to Western Australian species) - a mallet is a tree with a slender trunk with branches steeply angled on it, and lacks both lignotuber and epicormic buds (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/astringens_astring1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. astringens</a>). A marlock is a single-stemmed shrub or small tree with spreading branches that are densely leafy often almost to the ground, and lacks a lignotuber (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/platypus_platypus1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. platypus</a>). Correctly usedmallet or marlock has great discriminating value. Species with mallet habit are also included in Tree above.Marlock, as here defined, is easily understood whilst the plants are relatively small, but from 8 m tall the distinction between marlock, mallet and tree is often unclear. Marlock applies to relatively few species, but some are frequently cultivated e.g. E. platypus, E. conferruminata, growing taller than they do in the wild.</td><td valign="top"><div align="center">
<img alt="" class="" height="200" id="blogsy-1340901166090.0286" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/C002S3A.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="277" /><span class="letter">Mallet (left) or Marlock (right)(WA only)</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="bark" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="bark1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166182.8157" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Bark</span></h5>
Having taken into account the habit features, the next important character to assess in eucalypts is the type of bark. It pays to think in terms of the growth processes. Each year there is an increment of living bark that results in the continual expanding girth of the tree. In all species the outermost layer dies each year. In about half of the species this dead layer completely sheds, exposing a new layer of living bark, and the process continues year after year. These are known as the smooth barks. The dead bark may be shed from these trees in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/slabs.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">large slabs</a>, in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/ribbons.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">ribbons</a>, or in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/flakes.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">small flakes</a>. Invariably the newly exposed living bark is relatively smooth and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/bright.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">brightly coloured</a> but this fades with weathering. Often the dead bark comes off in pieces at various times of the year such that the trunk is mottled depending on the amount of time the newly revealed patches of bark are exposed to weathering.<br />
<br />
A curious but easily recognised bark type is the minnirichi which is restricted to a few species from southern Western Australia and arid Central Australia. This bark seems rough at first glance and on close inspection is seen to be formed of partly shed longitudinal strips that curl outwards, initially exposing pale or greenish underbark. The older attached strips turn deep red on aging. In one minnirichi species, in particular, the lower bark becomes thick and fibrous while only the upper bark is typical minnirichi.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Bark types: minnirichi, smooth, mottled, mottled, and granular with age" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166138.524" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_barks1.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="616" /><br />
<br />
In many species the smooth bark is uniform over the whole trunk in both texture and colour, e.g. E. mannifera, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/tintinnans2a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. tintinnans</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/salmonophloia2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. salmonophloia</a> and C. aparerrinja. In others the bark is mottled, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/maculata2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. maculata</a> and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/dawsonii2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. dawsonii</a>, while in a few species, particularly the red gums and the grey gums, the newly exposed smooth bark can be brilliant orange or yellow, fading to greys, the surface texture of which becomes granular with age.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Bark types: ribbon gums and scribbles" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166157.2043" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_barks4.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="255" />The irregular markings on the living bark of some smooth bark species are known as scribbles and are caused by burrowing insect larvae. Insects are attracted to some species and not others, whether to eat the leaves, suck nectar or to lay their eggs. Some insects are particularly partial to species in Eucalyptus subgenus Eucalyptus - stringybarks, ashes, peppermints, and related species, and lay their eggs in the bark. The larvae then eat their way through the surface of the bark leaving a characteristic zig-zag trail or scribble.<br />
<br />
In the ribbon gums the long strips of dead bark are imperfectly shed and hang conspicuously in the crown, particularly around the trunk.<br />
<br />
In great contrast are the remaining half of the eucalypts, the rough barks, in which the outer annual increment of dead bark simply dries out, leaving the natural fibres which do not shed and which accumulate year after year. These may remain loosely intertwined as in stringybarks, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/macro_macro2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. macrorhyncha</a>, or the peppermints, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/radiata_radiata2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. radiata</a>, or more tightly adherent as in the boxes, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/leptophleba2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. leptophleba</a> or many of the rough-barked bloodwoods e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/gummifera2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. gummifera</a>.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Rough bark types: stringybark, peppermints, boxes, bloodwoods and compacted" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166129.6455" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_barks2b.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="616" /><br />
<br />
In some species rough bark becomes infused with gum exudates which harden, resulting in the ironbark, e.g. E. crebra, E. jenseni or the compacted types of rough bark, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/smithii2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. smithii</a>, E. elata and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/sargentii_sargentii1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. sargentii</a>.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Rough bark types: ironbark and tessellated" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166122.7354" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_barks2a.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="254" />The ironbarks only occur in northern and eastern Australia but some species from south-western Western Australia have very hard rough bark that is thinner than that of the eastern ironbarks to which they are only very distantly related, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/indurata2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. indurata</a>.<br />
<br />
In many species of bloodwood and some ghost gums rough bark develops that becomes tessellated to a greater or lesser extent, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/tessellaris2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. tessellaris</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/cliftoniana1a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. cliftoniana</a>.<br />
<br />
Assessing rough bark type is one of the most difficult features in identifying eucalypts. The rough bark may cover the whole trunk and branches, or it may shed from the branches, or develop on the trunk only, to certain characteristic heights up the trunk. Consequently we refer to species as being wholly rough-barked or partly rough-barked, half-barked, or with rough bark only at the base (black butt). There is usually a range of variation in the bark between trees of the same species. This is illustrated by E. decipiens which is divided taxonomically into three subspecies diagnosed by the extent and type of rough bark. Since there are so many different types of rough bark, defined by their texture, colour and persistence on the trunk, we suggest that bark, because of the variability and imprecision of the descriptive terms, is a feature of only medium reliability for identification purposes.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Rough bark types: wholly-rough, half-bark and black butt" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166111.12" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_barks3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="368" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn_roughbark.htm" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">More about rough bark types</span></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="leaves" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="leaves1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166175.1895" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Leaves</span></h5>
<h3 style="margin: 0px 0px -5px; position: relative;">
</h3>
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/adult.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Adult & juvenile leaves in same crown" class="" height="200" id="blogsy-1340901166149.573" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_leaves.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="286" /></a>The mature crown consists of a branched leafy canopy in which flower buds, flowers, fruits and seed are formed. The leaves of a mature crown are adult in most species but in many others, leaf advance is arrested at the juvenile phase and the tree is reproductively mature when in juvenile, not adult leaf. In the development of any eucalypt there is no distinct point at which the juvenile stage changes to the intermediate and the intermediate leaves become adult. The stages are useful although imprecise reference points.Every leaf begins as a minute bundle of cells, whether it is on a seedling or a grown plant. The ultimate functional structure is a mature leaf which can be on a eucalypt plant at any growth stage. This means that there are mature seedling leaves, mature juvenile leaves, mature adult leaves etc. and the term 'mature' must not be used interchangeably with the word 'adult'.In the great majority of eucalypts, the leaves are formed in the following sequence. The first recognizable organ to emerge from a germinating seed is the root which pierces the seedcoat and penetrates downwards. It is usually white and covered with fine hairs. Then an aerial shoot appears and a pair of cotyledons soon unfolds. These are situated on the opposite sides of a 'square' stem (a seedlot will occasionally produce seedlings with cotyledons in threes placed symmetrically around a six-sided stem, but this condition changes to the normal four-sided stem after a few nodes).Above the cotyledons, the true leaves are formed in opposite pairs (see exceptions next paragraph), each succeeding pair being at right angles to the pair below. While the leaves in most species continue to be formed in opposite pairs for the whole life of the tree (this can be checked at the growing tips on a mature crown), from the late seedling to the adult stage the leaves become displaced at their point of attachment on the stem such that they appear to be alternate. In some species, however, the leaf development does not advance to the adult stage, and the crown is composed of opposite leaves for the life of the tree. These may be broad, glaucous in some species e.g. E. pruinosa, setose or scabrid in others e.g. C. dunlopiana, but always juvenile in character. In only a few species is the mature crown composed exclusively of opposite, apparently adult (lanceolate or falcate, green) leaves, e.g. E. doratoxylon, E. erythrocorys, and in some Angophora species, e.g. A. floribunda, A. bakeri.<img alt="Spiral arrangement of leaves in seedlings" class="" height="154" id="blogsy-1340901166171.2158" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_spiralleaves.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="170" /><br />
In a small group of species, after the first two or three pairs of leaves, the stem becomes five-sided and the subsequent leaves form in a 2/5 spiral (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/oleosa_oleosa9.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. oleosa</a>). This is detected by examining the seedling closely. No leaves will be opposite and any two leaves appearing consecutively, one above the other on any leaf-bearing face, will be separated vertically by four other leaves distributed around the other four vertical faces (e.g. E. longicornis). Vertically adjacent leaves will occur on the next leaf-bearing face but one, never the adjacent face. This produces a spiral arrangement of leaves that occurs often in seedlings with very narrow seedling leaves.<br />
A different spiral formation is seen in a small group of Western Australian eucalypts. In these the stem is three-sided and a three-leaved spiral forms in the seedling and persists throughout the life of the tree (e.g. E. lehmannii).<br />
<br />
Adult leaves are formed in the crown of the eucalypt plant, be it a mallee or tree, and for species in temperate and sub-tropical areas these leaves probably remain on the plant for some 2 to 3 years although this is not well-known. In monsoonal northern Australia many species are deciduous or semi-deciduous in the dry season which lasts from May to November. Examples are the red gum <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/tintinnans1.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. tintinnans</a> and ghost gum C. confertiflora. New leaves form about October.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Adult leaf shape: lanceolate and falcate" class="" height="103" id="blogsy-1340901166195.8862" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_leafshape.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="238" />Adult leaf shape is not much use in identification as most species have lanceolate or falcate (curved) leaves. Leaf shape is a character of low reliability for identification. Leaf size is less useful as many species have leaves about the same size. It is most useful if the species typically has adult leaves much larger (e.g. E. globulus) or much smaller (e.g. E. parvula) than most other species.<br />
<br />
Most eucalypt species have adult leaves that are more or less the same colour on both sides. But if an adult leaf is distinctly <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/discolor.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">discolorous</a> (the upper face is darker and greener than the lower), then this is a fairly powerful tool in the discrimination of species. The discoloured appearance of the leaf is a factor of internal structure. The green photosynthetic tissue (composed of cells with chlorophyll-bearing chloroplasts) is near the upper surface of the leaf and is lacking towards the lower surface in this type of leaf. The discoloured appearance is sometimes maintained on fallen dead leaves although somewhat faded. Juvenile leaves in all species are usually slightly to distinctly discoloured, so care must be taken in assessment of colouration. It is thought that the discolorous (or dorsiventral) leaf is an atavism (a reversion to an ancestral form), maintained in species of humid or high rainfall regions that most resemble the probable environment of the rain forest precursors of the eucalypts. It is seen in E. intermedia in eastern Australia and in E. diversicolor of the far south-west of Western Australia. E. cladocalyx of South Australia with its very discolorous leaves is probably a curious survivor of the ancient forests.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/reticula.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Leaf venation" class="" height="271" id="blogsy-1340901166145.942" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_leafvenation.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a>Another character not influenced by the environment is the leaf venation and this can be characteristic of certain groups such as the red bloodwoods, e.g. C. hylandii, which have many parallel side veins at a wide angle in a <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/venation.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">regularly pinnate (feathery) pattern</a>. Other species have generally <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/acute.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">fewer side veins at more acute angles</a>, the extreme being the Snow Gums (E. pauciflora) and Black Sally (E. stellulata) which have <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/parallel.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">side veins more or less parallel to the midrib</a>. While the angle of the side veins is highly diagnostic for the wide-angled and for the parallel-veined species, it is of little value for angle states between the extremes.<br />
<br />
The midrib of a leaf is the primary vein, the side veins are the secondary veins. When these are the only veins apparently present or visible as in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/suberea3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. suberea</a>, there is <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/noveins.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">no reticulation</a>, a strong character in assessing leaves for identification. Tertiary veining links the side veins and forms a reticulum. Some species have quaternary veining and the reticulum is consequently very fine. There is no absolute distinction between these categories and we use the terms: no visible reticulation, sparse reticulation, moderate reticulation, dense and very dense reticulation to describe them.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Leaf venation terms: visible reticulation, sparse reticulation, moderate reticulation, dense and very dense reticulation" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166204.247" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_leafvenation_eg.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="616" /><br />
<br />
Eucalypts are notable for their oil glands in the leaves. In a dried specimen the glands can only be seen with reflected light and appear as black dots on the undifferentiated surface. But if a fresh leaf is held up towards the sun and inspected with oblique light through the leaf, the glands will be seen as white or yellowish or green structures, obviously within the tissue of the leaf. This inspection should always be done on the upper surface of the leaf (i.e. holding the lower leaf face towards the sun). This is to ensure comparability between specimens. The leaves of some species look the same when viewed through either face, but most show far more features when viewed with the underside towards the light source.<br />
<br />
Many species will show quite different patterns between top-side or under-side viewing. Because most eucalypt leaves turn on their stalks and hang down in the crown, some experience is needed to determine which are the upper and lower faces. This decision is easier to make if <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/petiole.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">the petiole</a> is flattened on the upper surface, as it is in many species. Difficulty will be experienced in other species in determining the upper and lower surfaces of a leaf if the leaf stalk is slender and not flattened. In these instances both sides should be examined and the image with clearer reticulation and glands assessed, as this is the upper surface. Then comparable assessment can be made.<br />
<br />
Leaf oil gland categories are usually strong aids to identification as related species tend to have similar patterns.<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"><tbody>
<tr><td bgcolor="#C6EFD6" valign="top"><img alt="Leaf oil glands: intersectionsal" class="" height="150" id="blogsy-1340901166160.6108" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/interseca.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="204" /></td><td valign="top">The oil glands may be positioned either at the intersections of the veinlets, e.g. E. squamosa, and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/mannensis_mannensis3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. mannensis</a>, where they appear to be star-shaped, being connected from the points by a linear chain of cells (appearing as veinlets) to the tertiary veins.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#C6EFD6" valign="top"><img alt="Leaf oil glands: islands" class="" height="150" id="blogsy-1340901166136.7" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/islanda.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="205" /></td><td valign="top">In sharp contrast, the glands may appear as 'islands', e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/muelleriana3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. muelleriana</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/loxophleba_loxophleba3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. loxophleba</a>, E. marginata, and C. bunites, within the un-veined areas (areoles). 'Island' glands usually appear round although in some species as in the gimlets, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/salubris3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. salubris</a>, they are very irregular.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#C6E7D6" valign="top"><img alt="Leaf oil glands: absent or obscure" class="" height="150" id="blogsy-1340901166206.4165" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/absenta.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="203" /></td><td valign="top">In some species the oil glands are obscure, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/baxteri3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. baxteri</a> which is probably a result of their appearance through thick leaf tissue. In a few species the glands are apparently absent, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/ovata_ovata3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. ovata</a>, and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/todtiana3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. todtiana</a>. Apparent presence or absence may be variable within a species and although rare, is seen in E. rigidula whose leaves in southern populations are clearly glandular while populations in more arid regions of the species distribution to the north appear to be glandless.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#C6E7D6" valign="top"><img alt="Leaf oil glands: abundant or crowded" class="" height="151" id="blogsy-1340901166204.594" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/glands_num.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="204" /></td><td valign="top">While oil glands in the leaves are mostly described as intersectional, island, absent or obscure, another category almost confined to southern Western Australian species is defined as 'abundant' or 'crowded'. In these species, e.g.<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/eremophila3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. eremophila</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/annulata3.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. annulata</a>, and their related species, the oil glands are extremely numerous, round, crowded, often obscuring any venation apart from the midrib. The abundant category of glands is a character of high reliability being mostly confined to the series as represented by the species named above. In eastern Australia, only E. froggattii has similarly crowded glands, making identification easy for trees in natural stands..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="inflorescence" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="inflorescence1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166189.3342" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Inflorescences, buds and flowers</span></h5>
<img alt="Arrangement of buds on the branchlets: buds inclusters on single stalks in the axils of the leaves and individual bud clusters in large groups at the ends of the branchlets" class="" height="360" id="blogsy-1340901166174.4224" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_buds_occur.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="190" />Floral structures traditionally hold the defining aspects of species. There are numerous characters associated with them. Basically there are two contrasting forms of floral architecture, the individual flower buds or flowers, and then their arrangement on the branchlets. In most species of eucalypts, the buds occur <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/axillary.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">in clusters on single stalks in the axils of the leaves</a>. The flowers are mostly small and whitish and are not conspicuous in the crown.<img alt="Examples of bud arrangement in clusters on single stalks: complex clusters - E. michaeliana; expanded axillary shoots, C. tessellaris and C. henryi; contracted clusters, C. flavescens" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166136.9153" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_buds1.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="491" />A very few species have the inflorescences in complex clusters in the leaf axils, e.g. E. michaeliana or on expanded axillary shoots as in some ghost gums, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/bella4a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. bella</a>, C. tessellaris, and the spotted gums e.g. C. henryi, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/maculata4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. maculata</a>, or in more contracted though still branched axillary shoots as in most ghost gums e.g. C. flavescens, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/polysciada4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. polysciada</a>. Four species from eastern Australia, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/fastigata4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. fastigata</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/pachycalyx_pachycalyx4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. pachycalyx</a>, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/regnans4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. regnans</a> and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/squamosa4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. squamosa</a>, form their buds consistently in twin clusters in the leaf axils. In contrast, several large groups, the bloodwoods, some of the boxes and some of the ironbarks, form the<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/terminal.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">individual bud clusters in large groups at the ends of the branchlets</a>, with few or no leaves. In season these result in conspicuous sprays of flowers on the outside of the crown. A prominent example is the yellow bloodwood (<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/eximia5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. eximia</a>) of the sandstone regions of central eastern New South Wales, where the creamy white flower clusters stand out in the forest. In the south-west of Western Australia the widespread marri (<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/calophylla5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. calophylla</a>) exhibits the same prolific flowering affect, although the southern Red-flowering gum (<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/ficifolia5a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. ficifolia</a>) and the commonly cultivated northern Swamp bloodwood, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/ptychocarpa_aptycha5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. ptychocarpa</a>, are the most spectacular of the flowering eucalypts. One species, <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/cladocalyx4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. cladocalyx</a>, has ramiflorous inflorescences, with the buds formed on the leafless part of the branchlets well inside the crown. Some ghost gums from northern Australia which are deciduous in the dry season, e.g. C. confertiflora, also appear to flower on leafless branches but these are cases where the floral buds have formed in the axils where last-season’s leaves used to be and the inflorescences are axillary, not truly ramiflorous. Very useful diagnostic information can be derived from these inflorescence patterns, although the structures can be modified by various external factors including predation.A common modification of the basic axillary inflorescence of the eucalypts can be seen in many 'box', 'ironbark' and 'bloodwood' species. In these, bud clusters are formed in the usual way in the axils of developing leaves towards the ends of the annual growth of a branchlet. The arrangement of these leaves and floral primordia is initially decussate, and subsequent uneven elongation of the axis gives the appearance of alternation. Each branchlet terminates with a vegetative bud. In many 'box', 'ironbark' and 'bloodwood' species, this terminal vegetative bud aborts and the now apparently alternate leaf primordia cease their development. The floral primordia however, continue to develop, resulting in a 'leafless' compound inflorescence, terminating the branchlet. Good examples of this are <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/paniculata4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. paniculata</a>, the common grey ironbark of south-eastern Australia, and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/calophylla5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. calophylla</a>, or Marri, common in south-western Australia.<img alt="Bud clusters: single bud, 3-budded, 7-budded, higher than 7 buds" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166160.3193" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_buds2.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="491" />The individual bud clusters in most eucalypts can be seen on close inspection to be in symmetrical patterns. A few species have a single bud in the inflorescence, e.g. E. globulus and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/macrocarpa_macrocarpa4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. macrocarpa</a>, but the basic numbers in Angophora, Corymbia and Eucalyptus are 3 or 7. In a 3-budded inflorescence there is a central erect bud and two subtending side buds, all in a plane at right angles to the stem, forming a 'cross'. A 7-budded inflorescence has a central erect bud, two subtending side buds plus two buds each subtending the side buds. Bud numbers higher than 7 form by the addition of further pairs of subtending buds, and the number of buds in an intact inflorescence is always odd (never an even number), although very high bud numbers may occur in an obscured pattern. Also, in inflorescences with high numbers, one of a pair of subtending buds may be suppressed, probably by compression in the very young inflorescence which is tightly held within <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/bracts.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">bracts</a> which are soon deciduous. When assessing bud numbers, it is important to take into account the fact that during inflorescence development, which often takes more than a year, individual buds may be lost. This is particularly the case by the fruiting stage when the structures under examination have been exposed for a long time and subject to various traumas including predation and simple death of individual buds.Angophora species and some of the northern bloodwoods (<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/setosa_setosa4a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Corymbia setosa</a> and related species) have simple hairs and bristle glands (erect multicellular hairs or setae) somewhere on the inflorescence, peduncle, pedicel, and often on the bud. The buds of Eucalyptus species are glabrous for their whole life cycle.<br />
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" valign="top"><a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/ango.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Angophora flowers" class="" height="200" id="blogsy-1340901166182.0227" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/angoa.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="274" /></a>Angophora flowers<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/anthesis.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Inner operculum about to shed at flowering" class="" height="194" id="blogsy-1340901166159.7227" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/anthesia.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="276" /></a>Inner opercula<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/scar.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Operculum scars" class="" height="200" id="blogsy-1340901166122.0996" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/scara.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="291" /></a>Operculum scars<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/bud.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Inner bud anatomy" class="" height="200" id="blogsy-1340901166125.5056" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/BUDA.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="285" /></a>Inner bud anatomy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Angophora species are readily distinguished from other eucalypts in the flowers, by the presence of petals that have a green keel and white margin, and by persistent hard, woody, green sepals.<br />
<br />
All Corymbia species and most Eucalyptus species do not have separate sepals. The exceptions are the species in Eucalyptus subgenus Eudesmia plus a handful of other species. Subgenus Eudesmia is widespread and consists of 21 species. In south-western Western Australia the most famous is the glaucous, juvenile-leaved Tallerack (<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/pleurocarpa4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. pleurocarpa</a>). In this and related species, the calyx is formed of distinct separate sepals which are usually evident as <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/gittensii_gittensii4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">four small teeth at the top of the hypanthium</a> and usually <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/gittensii_illucida6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">persist to the fruiting stage</a>. A northern example is the Darwin Stringybark, E. tetrodonta, which in bud has prominent sepals that persist in fruit. Another group of eudesmids have their <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/ebban_photina4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">sepals more or less fused to the corolla</a> right at the apex of the bud and usually are difficult to see. Examples of this are E. baileyana from Queensland and northern New South Wales, E. ebbanoensis from south-western Western Australia, and the orange-flowered tropical trees E. miniata and E. phoenicea.<br />
<br />
Other Eucalyptus species having separate sepals are E. microcorys, which has, in early bud development, very small calyx lobes formed at the top of the hypanthium but which fall early and are seldom seen, and the south-western species E. steedmanii and E. mimica where conspicuous sepals are present in bud but are lost on flowering; the Queensland endemic species E. curtisii, E. cloeziana and E. tenuipes, with four small teeth present on the mid line of the bud which persist in E. curtisii but fall early in the other two. In all other species in Eucalyptus and in Corymbia the sepals are united to form the outer operculum or bud-cap.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Buds showing seperate sepals: E. tetrodonta, E. baileyana, E. microcorys, E. steedmanii, E. mimica, E. curtsii" class="" height="242" id="blogsy-1340901166195.301" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_buds3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="366" /><br />
<br />
The individual flower buds have two opercula (bud caps covering the stamens and style) derived from the united sepals (outer operculum) and united petals (inner operculum). In some species of red bloodwood the fusion of the petals to form the inner operculum may not be complete, but careful dissection is needed to see this. A longitudinal section through an almost mature bud can reveal whether or not the inner operculum is divided at all. Similarly, removing the outer operculum but leaving the inner operculum intact can also show whether the inner operculum is partially divided or not. Some examples in the bloodwoods are C. ficifolia, C. zygophylla and C. deserticola. Eucalyptus guilfoylei from the wet forests of southern Western Australia may also possess this feature of the inner operculum.<br />
<br />
The flower buds of Angophora (illustrated above) are all very similar within the group of twelve species and subspecies and, apart from size, contain very few discernible characters that distinguish the species. The individual flower buds of the traditional eucalypts, however, contain a great deal of vital information, from the external superficial nature of the wall of the bud to the characters of much higher reliability contained within. One character of absolute reliability (no exceptions have ever been found) is the number of opercula, although this requires experience to assess.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Flower buds of the traditional eucalypts, showing operculum" class="" height="230" id="blogsy-1340901166136.2104" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_operculum.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="310" />Except for Angophora, the eucalypt flower lacks showy petals. The petals are in fact united very early in bud development to form a cap or a cone-shaped structure that covers the stamens and ovary during their development. This is <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/anthesis.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">the inner operculum</a>, which sheds just before flowering when the stamens expand and are almost ready to shed their pollen. (There is a delay in pollen ripening and dispersal to lessen the chance of self-fertilisation and consequent inbreeding). The outer whorl of the floral parts is the sepals which, likewise, unite to form an operculum in most eucalypt species. In the majority of species, this, the outer operculum sheds early in bud development. In doing so, the tissue around the approximate middle of the bud, i.e. where the outer operculum attaches to the base of the bud, dies resulting in detachment. This leaves <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/scar.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">a scar</a> around the middle of the bud which can sometimes be seen with the naked eye but is best seen with a lens. About 130 species, comprising the Eucalyptus subgenusEucalyptus, have lost the outer operculum altogether in the evolution of the group. Therefore, throughout the development of the bud in these species there is <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/scar.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">no scar</a>, and the side of the bud is smooth. Some species have two opercula that are fused giving the superficial impression that only a single operculum is present, e.g. E. ochrophloia. The boxes and ironbarks show parallel development in operculum characters. There are two groups, one in which the outer operculum sheds early leaving a scar, e.g. the box species, E. behriana, and the ironbark species, E. paniculata, and another in which the outer operculum is held to bud maturity, e.g. the box species, E. microcarpa and the ironbark, E. sideroxylon. The double opercula and their retention to bud maturity is a diagnostic feature of all the red bloodwoods (Corymbia informal section Rufaria). The ghost gums (Corymbia informal section Blakearia e.g. C. bella) and spotted gums (Corymbia informal section Politaria e.g. C. citriodora) shed the outer operculum during bud development leaving an operculum scar.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Various forms of stamen orientation in the unopened bud: stamens wholly erect, uniformly inflexed, and with irregular orientation" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166159.026" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_stamens.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="547" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/bud.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Stamens</a> have various forms of orientation in the unopened bud. Some species have their stamens wholly erect. Others have them uniformly inflexed, while others have irregular orientation. Again, the extremes of positioning, i.e. complete inflexion or complete erection, are easy to assess. However there will be 'in-between' species in which the character is difficult to categorise. <img alt="Attachment of anthers: basifixed and dorsifixed" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166186.3774" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_anthers.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="412" />The attachment of the anther on the summit of the staminal filament is useful diagnostically. Some anthers are basifixed, with the tip of the filament attached rigidly at the base of the anther. This character is seen in the boxes and ironbarks and at its most extreme in E. leptophylla, E. foecunda and related species. In the majority of eucalypts the anthers are dorsifixed, by attachment loosely to the back of the anther, such that it can swivel, i.e. versatile. Some eucalypts have flowers with staminodes, where the outer stamens lack anthers or have reduced, non-functional anthers, e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/calycogona_spaff5.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. calycogona</a>. The openings of the anther for pollen shed (dehiscence) is also an important diagnostic character. Most eucalypts have their anthers either opening by well separated<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/longitud.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">longitudinal slits</a> for the more or less cuboid anther, or, as in Eucalyptus subgenus Eucalyptus (e.g. E. regnans) with their more or less kidney-shaped anthers, have the openings oblique and touching near the apex, finally forming <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/conflu.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">confluent slits</a>. The cuboid, freely dorsifixed anther occurs in many western species but the kidney-shaped anther with confluent slits is rare in western monocalypts but is seen in Jarrah (E. marginata) and a few related species. The butterfly-shaped anther in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/butterfly.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. guilfoylei</a> is unique in the genus. In a considerable number of species, particularly mallees, e.g. E. oleosa, the anthers are subversatile and open by small roundish <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/pores.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">pores</a>, either at the sides or the top of the anther.<br />
<br />
Within the base of the bud is the ovary and this contains characters of high diagnostic reliability. The most useful is the number of vertical rows of <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/tetraptera5a.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">ovules</a>. These can only be seen by dissection and is best done under a microscope but can be done in the field and seen with a 10× lens. Most eucalypts have ovule rows with 4 or 6 vertical rows. Another group has ovule rows consistently in 2s (Eucalyptus subgenus Eucalyptus), while others have rows of 3 or 5, or irregular patterns (bloodwoods and ghost gums).<br />
<br />
<img alt="Ovule rows: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166216.3118" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_ovules.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="619" /><br />
<br />
The top of the ovary is surmounted by the style which terminates in the stigma. The style is usually erect in all but a few species but can be spiral in some e.g. E. albida, making it a useful diagnostic character. In the great majority of species the style arises from the narrowed summit of the ovary. In some bloodwoods, in Eucalyptus series Melliodorae (e.g. E. leucoxylon) and some species of Eucalyptus series Loxophlebae (e.g. E. loxophleba) the style narrows at the base and is inserted into the roof of the ovary. The style is subsequently articulate, not rigid.<br />
<br />
The pollen is transported to the stigma from another flower by insects, small birds or small mammals. On germination of the pollen grains, the contents including the vital nuclei migrate by means of a pollen tube down the stigma shaft to the ovary itself where several ovules at the base of the placentae are fertilised. The fertilised ovules mature into the seeds. The ovular structures on the upper part of the placentae are infertile or unfertilised and 'mature' into sterile particles smaller than the seeds known as the chaff.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="fruit" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="fruit1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166150.2737" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Fruit</span></h5>
<img alt="Eucalypts fruits, commonly called gumnuts, showing valves, disc and hypanthium" class="" height="216" id="blogsy-1340901166165.4277" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_fruit.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="300" /><br />
In bud, the ovary is sunk into the expanded, invaginated top of the pedicel (individual bud stalk) known as the hypanthium. The side walls of the ovary are usually fused to the inner wall of the hypanthium such that they appear as one structure. Following fertilisation, the stamens fall from the flower, the style surmounting the ovary usually sheds, and the remaining structure becomes woody and matures into the fruit. The fruits of eucalypts, commonly called the gumnuts, are thus a compound structure of supporting tissue, the hypanthium, and the ovary. The rim of the fruit comprises the scar or circular 'platform' where the operculum was attached, then on the inner side, the narrow or broad ring of tissue that bore the stamens, and finally a band of tissue that links the rim with the ovary roof. This last tissue is the disc, derived from the nectary in the flower. It may descend vertically to the ovary and line the inner wall of the hypanthium as in the bloodwoods and ghost gums, or cross horizontally to the ovary roof, e.g. E. regnans, or be raised and ascend to an uplifted ovary roof, e.g. E. tereticornis. Some western species have a further development of the disc, e.g. in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/coronata6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. coronata</a> and related species, in which the disc extends over the valves such that only the extreme tips of the valves are exposed.<br />
<img alt="Variation in the disc: descending disc, level disc, raised disc" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166192.6462" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_disc.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="367" /><a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/fr_fusion.jpg" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="Examples of fused fruit" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166220.0667" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/fr_fusion2.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a><br />
Throughout the three genera fruit shape is difficult to categorise with certainty. One very distinctive fruit form, however, is seen in a few species endemic to southern Western Australia. In these, the numerous individual fruits in a single cluster are fused by the walls of the hypanthium from the time of <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/fl_fusion.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">bud</a> formation onwards. The fused buds mature into a large, hard, woody cluster that is instantly recognisable, as in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/lehmanii6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. lehmannii</a>. These fruit are said to be syncarpous.<br />
These fruits were originally considered to be so distinctive that on the discovery of the species, E. lehmannii was thought to belong to a different genus and was given this status in the newly coined name, Symphyomyrtus, meaning 'fused myrtle'. Later the fused character was considered to be somewhat superficial and the species was placed in the genus Eucalyptus. Fusion of organs is easily recognized and of great value in species recognition. Fusion of parts occurs elsewhere in the genus in other organs, e.g. opposite pairs of juvenile leaves of <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/uncinata9.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. uncinata</a> and the staminal filaments of <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/synandra4.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. synandra</a>.<br />
<br />
For western species another useful aid to identification is found in part of the subgenus Eudesmia. The buds and fruit of many of the Eudesmia species are square in cross-section, the sepals being conspicuous on the rim at the tips of the sides of the square. 'Square' fruit are also seen in the widespread E. calycogona, and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/prolixa6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. prolixa</a>, which is endemic to the goldfields of Western Australia. This is an interesting convergent character as the two groups are quite unrelated. Curiously the square fruit is also seen in some box species, clearly so in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/froggattii6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. froggattii</a>, and less obviously so in E. petraea and E. ochrophloia,and some ironbark species, e.g. E. tetrapleura. The large urceolate fruits of the bloodwoods (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/calophylla6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. calophylla</a>) might also be regarded as quite distinctive fruits, but the great variety of fruit shapes seen throughout the eucalypts makes fruit shape a character for which words are rarely ideally descriptive. Further, categorizing fruits into separate shape descriptions is difficult given natural variation and general gradation between shape definitions/categories. Size of fruit is also very variable and within a species size may be affected by seasonal conditions, such as drought, and also by the numbers of fruit that may develop in relation to available resources. Therefore the shape of the fruit, should be used carefully in identification. Similarly when using fruit dimension, choose average sized fruit for the specimen, not extremes.<br />
<br />
The roof of the ovary is 'free' and exposed and separates into <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_fruit.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">valves</a> which spread and allow the seeds to shed. The mature but unopened woody ovary may be deeply sunk in the fruit and not actually be visible below the rim; be more or less level with the rim; or in other species, the roof of the ovary may be raised above the rim. This latter character is seen most conspicuously in <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/coolabah6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. coolabah</a> and the ovary is scarcely inferior, i.e. it is not well sunk into the hypanthium as it is in the vast majority of eucalypts.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Variation in the valves: valves deeply sunk in the fruit, valves more or less level with the rim, and valves raised above the rim" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166148.7456" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_valves.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="367" /><br />
<br />
Of considerable value in identification are the valves of the fruit. Their number and exsertion can be characteristic of species and species groups, e.g. the red gums in which the ovary splits into 3 or 4 valves which are usually strongly exserted. The number of valves in the majority of eucalypt species is usually 3 or 4 with a few exceptions where the numbers are up to 6 or occasionally 7, as in the big-fruited E. aquilina and E. preissiana subsp. lobata. In one tropical species, E. phoenicea, the valve number is reduced to 2.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Valve number: 3, 4, 5, 6" class="" height="120" id="blogsy-1340901166145.9153" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_valves1.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="493" /><br />
<br />
There is one valve character that requires qualification. In the large series Subulatae and to a lesser extent the series Falcatae, the ovary is sunk well below the rim of the hypanthium. The style surmounting the ovary splits into <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/yumbarrana_epidema6.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">three or four needle-like structures</a> (the number of the ovary chambers and therefore the valves). Despite their fragility they persist as the valves spread in dehiscence, and are conspicuously emergent above the rim of the fruit. Ultimately they break off but their early persistence is a feature of these two taxonomic series and may be regarded as a character of medium to high reliability bearing in mind that the 'valves' are finally lost from the fruit.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="seed" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="seed1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166223.9402" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Seed</span></h5>
One useful feature that is not immediately available in the field is the seeds. Until the vascular connections between the individual fruits held in the crown and the parent tree are broken, the valves will not open. Otherwise, eucalypt fruit are held on the branchlets often for years. Seed from detached fruits, however, can be ready for inspection after about 24 hours by placing unopened fruits in a paper bag where they dry out quickly and shed <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seeds_chaff.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">the seeds and the thinner chaff particles</a>. There is a great number of seed forms and these can be seen either with the naked eye or with a lens. Fortunately, related species have identical seeds and the character is therefore one of high reliability. Because words do not adequately convey the actual seed shape for most species, experience is needed to educate the user who will ultimately find the seeds to be an invaluable aid in discriminating species and groups of related species. We suggest the following terms as a guide.<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"><tbody>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD"><img alt="Seed shape: flattened or saucer-shaped" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166214.5913" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed10a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Flattened or saucer-shaped The seed is somewhat flattened with a distinct upper (dorsal) and lower (ventral) side. The ventral side may be somewhat concave, with the hilum in the centre. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/a_melanoxylon7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Angophora</a> and the ghost gums have this type of seed.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#F9D6B1" valign="top"><img alt="Seed shape: pyramidal or obliquely pyramidal" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166178.4575" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed3a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td>Pyramidal or obliquely pyramidal The seed is pyramid shaped with a relatively smooth or lacunose, flat or rounded dorsal side. The ventral side is usually ribbed, wrinkled or angled and is surmounted by a narrowed face at the summit where the hilum is (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/acmenoides7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. acmenoides</a>). This is the seed type in most of the monocalypts although there is a great amount of variety in their seed form. Perhaps the most extreme seed shape in the monocalypts is seen in some western endemics, e.g. E. buprestium and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/todtiana7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. todtiana</a>, in which the body of the seed is small in comparison to the grossly extended curved lateral wings.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#F9D6B1"><img alt="Seed shape: boat-shaped" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166204.0889" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed4a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Boat-shaped The seed is elongated and strongly keeled dorsally with a large, conspicuous hilum in the middle of the flat underside. The edges may be flanged or narrowly winged. C. gummifera and <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/calophylla7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. calophylla</a> notably have this type of seed.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD"><img alt="Seed shape: cuboid" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166212.7434" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed5a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Cuboid The seed is chunky, often with a smooth, shiny or somewhat granular, sometimes slightly rounded, dorsal side. The hilum is situated on a smaller terminal face separated from the dorsal side by the side walls of the seed. These walls are often angular. The chaff is usually similar to the seed, but somewhat smaller and lighter coloured (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/seeana7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. seeana</a>).</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD" valign="top"><img alt="Seed shape: ellipsoidal with terminal wing " class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166234.3835" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed6a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td>Ellipsoidal with terminal wing The flattened-ellipsoidal body of the seed occurs at the lower end (considering the disposition of the ovule on the placenta in the intact bud), with a transparent wing as long as the body of the seed at the top end. The wings may be seen, just before seed shed, emerging from the top of the ovary. The hilum is usually positioned near one edge not far from the start of the wing. The wing is purely a descriptive morphological term and the structure has no apparent aerial function. Most of the bloodwoods have this type of seed (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/chippendalei7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">C. chippendalei</a>).</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD"><img alt="Seed shape: pointed at one end" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166208.5828" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed7a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Pointed at one end The seed is somewhat flattened, usually rounded at one end and pointed at the other. It may be described as teardrop-shaped (e.g.<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/conica7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. conica</a>).</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD"><img alt="Seed shape: d-shaped" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166149.782" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed8a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">D-shaped The seed is roughly disc-like with a short straight side and a longer connecting curved side. The hilum is towards the narrowed end (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/porosa7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. porosa</a>).</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD"><img alt="Seed shape: spherical" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166158.356" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed9a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Spherical The seed is more or less spherical (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/desmondensis7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. desmondensis</a>).</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#FFD6BD" valign="top"><img alt="Seed shape: ovoid or depressed ovoid " class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166243.2979" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed1a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Ovoid or depressed-ovoid The seed is ovoid or elliptical in outline but flattened with the hilum on the more or less concave ventral side (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/aggregata7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. aggregata</a>). A large number of species have this type of seed. Examples are the section Maidenaria, endemic to eastern Australia, in which the dorsal surface is often lacunose, and a large number of mallees occurring across southern Australia. These seeds have very smooth dorsal sides with two or three shallow longitudinal grooves. This is seen particularly in series Subulatae and Calycogonae.</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#F9D5B1" valign="top"><img alt="Seed shape: obliquely elongated" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166150.1433" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed11a.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Obliquely elongatedThe seed is like a narrowly drawn-out pyramid with the dorsal face curved and prolonged into a thin 'tongue'. The terminal face is small, flat and oblique on the seed with the hilum in the middle. The sides are ridged (e.g. <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/burracoppinensis7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. burracoppinensis</a>).</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#F9D6B1"><img alt="Seed shape: linear" class="" height="100" id="blogsy-1340901166247.7454" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/seed2a.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="100" /></td><td valign="top">Linear The seed is narrow and elongated, with a very small dorsal surface, long sides and terminal hilum (only <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/images/curtisii7.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">E. curtisii</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="pith" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="pith1" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166157.3164" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> Pith</span></h5>
<img alt="" class="" height="214" id="blogsy-1340901166176.036" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/pitha.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="165" />Once a specimen has been taken, a very handy and accessible feature is the pith of the branchlets. In the southern half of the country about half of the dry country mallees have a line of clear-coloured or <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/pith.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">brown oil glands in the pith</a> usually visible to the naked eye, while the remaining species have a <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/pithabs.gif" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">white or uniformly coloured, undifferentiated pith</a>. This character is easily assessed in the field by <a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/Pith2.jpg" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">pulling a side branchlet away</a> from the main axis. Pith glands, if present, will be most conspicuous at the nodes so this is where the character should be sought for its presence or absence. The developmental origin of these discrete rounded pith glands is unknown.Pith gland absence or presence is a character of moderately high, not absolute, reliability and is a particularly useful character to help identify South Australian and southern Western Australian species.This, however, is not true in all areas of the country. Many, perhaps all, species of Corymbia (bloodwoods and ghost gums) andAngophora have obvious short or elongated duct-like spaces in the pith of the branchlets. These are not as easily seen in the field as the discrete round pith glands but can be seen with a 10X lens, especially at or near the leaf bases. These ducts may be filled with a sticky brown substance (?oil or resin) or the contents may be crystalline but they are not round pith oil glands as described above. Only one species of ghost gum, C. kombolgiensis has been observed with discrete round brown pith oil glands. In EUCLID we have scored this character when we have seen it in Corymbia and Angophora species, however when identifying these species it should be used with caution or avoided.<a href="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/learn.htm#top" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">^ TOP</span></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-size: 12px;"><td valign="top"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://treeremovalblackheath.blogspot.com.au/" name="history" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></span><br />
<h5 class="style1" style="margin-bottom: -5px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="" height="14" id="blogsy-1340901166230.85" src="http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsample/html/images/essay_dotpoint.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px;" width="14" /> A brief history of Eucalyptus, Angophora and Corymbia</span></h5>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Although eucalypts must have been seen by the very early European explorers and collectors, no botanical collections of them are known to have been made until 1770 when Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander arrived at Botany Bay with James Cook. There they collected specimens of C. gummifera and later, near the Endeavour River in northern Queensland, they collected E. platyphylla; neither of these species was named as such at the time.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In 1777, on Cook's third expedition, the botanist David Nelson collected a eucalypt on Bruny Island, southern Tasmania. This specimen was taken to the British Museum in London, where it was named Eucalyptus obliqua by the French botanist, Charles-Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle, who was working in London at the time. He coined the generic name from the Greek roots eu and calyptos, meaning 'well' and 'covered', in reference to the operculum of the flower bud. This organ protects the reproductive structures during their development and sheds under pressure from the emerging stamens at flowering. The name obliqua was derived from the Latin, obliquus, meaning 'oblique', describing a leaf base where the two sides of the leaf blade are of unequal length and do not meet the petiole at the same point. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the publication of Eucalyptus obliqua, L'Héritier recognized in the generic name a feature common to all eucalypts - the operculum. In his choice of specific name, he recognized not only a characteristic feature of E. obliqua but one that occurs in most other eucalypts as well. E. obliqua was published in 1788 and coincides with the date of the first official settlement of Australia.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Between 1788 and the beginning of the nineteenth century several more species of Eucalyptus were named and published. Most of these were by the English botanist James Edward Smith and most were, as might be expected, trees of the Sydney region. They include the economically valuable E. pilularis, E. saligna and E. tereticornis, each of which also occurs in Queensland, with the distribution of E. tereticornis extending to the island of New Guinea.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Also in this period the genus Angophora was published, in 1797, by the Spanish botanist Antonio Jose Cavanilles, based on specimens collected at Port Jackson by Frenchman Luis Née in 1793. Née was botanist with the Alejandro Malaspina expedition. Various authors have considered Angophora to be sufficiently distinctive that it should be maintained as a separate genus. Others believe it is a 'eucalypt'. We recognize both Eucalyptus and Angophora in EUCLID, reflecting results of recent research and usage by the general community.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The nineteenth century was a period of extensive land exploration. This resulted in the discovery of many new eucalypts and their subsequent naming by several of the great botanists in Australian history, particularly Ferdinand von Mueller, whose work on eucalypts contributed greatly to the first comprehensive account of the genus in George Bentham's Flora Australiensis (1867). Bentham never visited Australia, but his account is the most important early systematic treatment of the genus Eucalyptus.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some earlier authors had constructed classifications, but the distinctions they used - for example, shape of the operculum and the juvenile leaf arrangement - were only applicable to far fewer species than were known to Bentham; they were of little use when applied to a much larger number of species. One useful study before that of Bentham, however, was Mueller's description of different bark types (Mueller, 1858). These still have relevance in distinguishing between, for example, groups that shed or retain dead bark and, in the latter case, between ironbark and other types of rough bark.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bentham divided the genus into five series whose distinctions were based on characteristics of the stamens, particularly the anthers. Categories within each series were based largely on the leaves, and on bud and fruit shape. He was obviously working with limited botanical specimens, and field characters were not available to him unless communicated by others from Australia.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mueller, working in Australia, devised another classification based on the anthers (Mueller, 1879-84), while Joseph Henry Maiden (1924) elaborated on the anther system, which was taken even further by William Faris Blakely (1934). By this time, classification based on the anther system had become too complex to be workable.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Other more consistent characters have been sought in recent years to aid in the construction of classifications. Of these, leaf venation, the nature of bristle glands, the morphology of the seeds, nature of the operculum and the structure of the inflorescence are fundamental. More sophisticated equipment has usually enabled the examination of these leaf and floral structures early in and during their development. Similarities thus recognised usually provide the evidence of natural affinity between species and groups of species. In other words, botanists became better equipped to decide whether these similarities noticed in different species and groups were the results of inheritance from a common ancestor or if they had independently evolved, in many cases as an adaptive necessity such as lignotuber formation or salt tolerance.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A comprehensive but informal classification of all known eucalypt species was published in 1971 by the late L.D. Pryor and L.A.S. Johnson. It comprised seven major groups based on the association of many morphological characters and suggested by the breeding incompatibility between them. Their system has been subjected to close scrutiny in the past 30 years. Many improvements to this classification were proposed by Johnson himself and by others, although he never formally published a system of classification.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Briggs and Johnson (1979) contributed a major advance in the botany of the whole family Myrtaceae, in which they outlined for the first time a comprehensive analysis of inflorescence structure in all genera and its indication of evolutionary trend.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Volume 19 of the 'Flora of Australia', all eucalypts published to 1988, were comprehensively treated (Chippendale, 1988). This work includes 513 species of Eucalyptus arranged in 92 series, many of which were published formally in this volume. This is not a structured classification as there are no subgenera or sections. The work is of particular value for its typology and erection of many new taxonomic series.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The decade after 1988 saw the application of advanced methodology in the study of the genus Eucalyptus, especially in phylogenetic analyses of taxonomic series (e.g. Ladiges et al., 1987; Hill and Johnson, 1995) and in the use of molecular techniques in the estimation of infra-generic relationships within the genus and between cognate genera (Ladiges et al., 1995; Ladiges and Udovicic, 2000).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-55032665331246471262010-12-24T01:41:00.001-08:002010-12-24T01:41:13.823-08:00Composting<br /><br /><br />- Posted by Zeal Property Maintenance P/L from iPad.Composting<br /><br />What is composting?<br />Composting is nature’s own recycling program. In time, organisms will break down the ingredients listed below into rich, dark crumbly compost - nature’s own nutrient-rich fertiliser.<br /><br />How does composting work and how long does it take?<br />Natural composting, or decomposition, occurs all the time in nature. Home composting generally takes two months or more. The more you turn and mix the contents - adding air in the process - the more rapid the composting action will be.<br /><br />The right conditions include<br />the right ratio of nitrogen to carbon - equal amounts of ‘greens’ (kitchen scraps) for nitrogen and ‘browns’ (fallen leaves and woody material) for carbon<br />the right amount of water (feels like a damp sponge)<br />good drainage (to remove excess moisture)<br />enough oxygen (turned often)<br />What can you compost at home?<br />Vegetable and fruit scraps<br />Fallen leaves<br />Grass clippings<br />Finely chipped branches<br />Used vegetable cooking oil<br />Tea leaves, tea bags<br />Coffee grounds<br />Vacuum cleaner dust<br />Egg shells<br />Sheets of newspaper<br />Paper bags<br />Shredded paper<br />What can’t you compost?<br />Metal, plastic, glass<br />Meat and dairy products (attract rodents)<br />Large branches<br />Bones<br />Plant bulbs (need specialised treatment)<br />Droppings of meat-eating animals (e.g. dogs)<br />Grubs in your compost?<br />Sometimes in compost bins there are many segmented brown grubs. These are the larvae of the beneficial Soldier Fly. They are not pests, nor will they cause health problems.<br /><br />Mulches<br />Mulches can prevent up to 73% evaporation loss and they are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make the most of water in the garden.<br />The best mulch is a well-rotted compost which will also improve the soil structure and stimulate the biological life of the soil. Place the mulch away from the trunk to prevent collar rot.<br />Do not apply mulch more than 75-100 mm in thickness or water may not easily penetrate into the soil.<br />Sylvester the Digester<br />At the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney we have one of only a few VCUs - Vertical Composting Units - in Australia. Our VCU, nick-named ‘Sylvester the Digester’, will help us lead the way in responsible recycling to help save our environment. Sylvester is an insulated, weather-sealed unit that processes organic waste and turns it into a nutrient-rich compost. We are turning our green ‘waste’ material into a high quality mulch and soil conditioner.<br /><br />Sylvester is filled with fresh waste, water is added, then the waste is transferred to the top of the unit to descend through a temperature gradient from 85ºC to 45ºC. The high temperatures ensure elimination of pathogens and weed seeds. Sylvester is at work 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The time required to make the final compost product is around two to four weeks.<br />propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-16066247043885407582010-11-29T07:20:00.001-08:002010-11-29T07:20:43.314-08:00cycads<br />This article is written for those who have a problem with their cycad plant, want to avoid the common maladies of growing cycads or would like general sago palm care tips. In this article we discuss the problems that we’ve seen frequently and advise as to potential remedies that seem to help. It is meant to stimulate the reader into inspecting his plants for yellow leaves, brown tips, rot, etc., and coming up with therapeutic modalities for his plants. The better one gets at this, the better grower he will become.<br /> <br /><br />What’s Wrong?<br /><br />Inspect your plant<br /><br />In growing cycads, it is very important to make a habit of looking at your plants. Inspection is key to good growing of cycads. They will usually demonstrate to you that they have a problem. However, it helps to know what to look for while inspecting. This can lead to your diagnosing the problem, or at least let you know something is wrong.. Once you establish what the problem is, you can set out to solve it. Described below are some of the things that you can look for while inspecting your cycads. Be aware that different climatic areas may see different problems than we've seen here in Southern California. However, most of the problems discussed below are quite universal to all growing areas. The problems of insects and pests is not dealt with here and will be discussed in a future article.<br /><br /><br />Encephalartos transvenosus, suspected of rot.<br /><br /><br /><br />Bottom rot on Encephalartos caudex. <br /><br /> <br /><br />You see visible rot on your caudex or roots: Sometimes one might see rot on the trunk of a cycad. Or, you might see it on inspecting a caudex in pumice that you are trying to root out. Obviously, this requires you're bare-rooting the plant to inspect the roots and base of the caudex. Unfortunately, rot can hide and be deceptive, even starting in the most hidden, deepest roots. With rot, the first thing one notices is that the caudex or root tissue is soft. Rot manifests itself as a dark tan to brown/black color in the caudex or trunk . Rotting roots tend to be soft, darker colored, and lacking secondary roots coming out. This is opposed to light, fleshy healthy roots . Usually the rot involves the lower caudex in it’s subterranean area or the roots. Rot can cause cycads to decline or possibly die if it is not addressed. If you find rot on your caudex, use a sharp, sterile cutting tool (knife or saw) to remove the rot. Cut the rot away until you have only hard tissue that is whitish or light tan in color. Note: in some cases you may not find whitish or light tan tissue; in such cases, cut back to hard tissue. Be careful, if you cut the caudex too much you risk the plant dying. If the rot is on the roots, one needs to individually remove involved roots, dissecting up to clean, healthy tissue. Below are guidelines to the treatment of rot after you've dissected it away. <br /><br /><br />Encephalartos longifolius, with crown rot forming multiple heads.<br /><br /><br /><br />Caudex rot on Encephalartos showing soft tissue.<br /><br /><br /><br />Rooting hormone brand Take Root; a combination of root stimulant and fungicide.<br /><br />General guideline in the treatment of tissue rot:<br /><br />1) After you have cut away the rot (trunk or roots), soak the plant in both a fungicide and root stimulant. First soak your plant in a fungicide, like Daconil, for 30 minutes. Always follow manufacturer's instructions about usage and safety on any chemical. Next you will want to soak your plant in a root stimulant, like DipN’Grow, vitamin B1 or B complex (most liquid root stimulants will work), for 30 minutes. The reason why I recommend soaking the plants for 30 minute intervals is because it allows the caudex to absorb both the fungicide and root stimulant into its tissue<br />2) Sprinkle a powder root stimulant, like Take Root, onto the base of the caudex and/or the root(s).<br /><br /><br />Pure pumice.<br /><br />3) You should now seal the cuts with an agricultural tar. This assists in keeping the cut surface clean and also helps to protect from future rot. Melted wax preparations can also be used.<br />4) We use new clean pumice (or scoria) to re-establish the plant. It is a dry medium and you are less likely to incur rot or other problems. This typically means submerging the treated area of trunk or roots directly into the pot of pumice. If pumice is not available, coarse sand can work. Use a pot that is not overly large for the caudex.<br />5) The time it takes to reestablish your plant can be three to six months or even longer. Failure will be evidenced by the progression of the rotting tissue and failure to establish leaves or roots. You may wish to bare root the caudex for inspection from time to time. One must repeat the cycles above if rot is rediscovered.<br /><br /><br />Caudex that hasn't done anything in a long time.<br /><br />The top of your caudex is soft<br />This is an ominous sign. It usually means the caudex is in the process of or about to collapse and die. It is usually due to rot and the plant is usually near death. One would typically see the leaves turn brown and fall downward . They may shrivel. On grasping and pinching the crown of the caudex, it will be soft and compress inwards. It might actually collapse beneath the pressure of the fingers. This often means the demise of the entire plant. If the softness to touch is minimal, quickly treat the crown with a drenching of fungicide, and repeat on a regular basis. If the crown is collapsing, one can dissect away the crown of the caudex until healthy tissue is found. Often this is unsuccessful. The mechanics of doing this are discussed elsewhere, but one would be working from the top of the caudex downward. If one is lucky, new suckers will emerge from this dissected level and the plant will survive. More often then not, this plant is bound for the garbage can and is terminally ill. <br /><br /><br />Encephalartos, rotted and collapsed caudex. <br /><br />E. transvenosus, inspecting caudex for rot and noting softness to the crown of the plant.<br /><br /><br /><br />E. transvenosus, rotted caudex. Note it falls apart with ease. This caudex is dead.<br /><br />An unrooted caudex does nothing<br />We’ve found that a healthy caudex can take anywhere from six months to two years to establish adequate roots for survival. Some species are faster than others. For instance, Encephalartos horridus established quite quickly while Encephalartos inopinus gets roots much more slowly. Sometimes the latter will even throw leaves prior to establishing roots. This certainly makes one apprehensive, but it is not always a fatal observation. However, sometimes months and years go by and nothing happens; no roots, no leaves. The first thing to do is to inspect the caudex. Feel it in your hands. Is it firm? Is it still heavy in the hand? Does it feel light? Firmly press the sides of the caudex. Does it collapse somewhat, especially toward the crown? When a caudex goes bad and visual inspection shows nothing, rot is often most evident near the crown of the plant or sucker. Are the cataphylls loose? Pull on them gently. Do they easily pull out? Try float testing the caudex. Unobserved central rot can make the caudex float. If everything seems OK and you find nothing, all you can do is place the sucker back in pumice and wait.<br />A rooting caudex throws leaves before it roots<br /> This is always a worrisome problem. It is never the ideal scene, but sometimes happens and can still result in a healthy rooted plant. We always like to see vigorous roots before a throw of leaves. This can occur just because of the natural cycle of the offset. Let’s say it was about to throw leaves and you removed it for propagation. It will continue to leaf out regardless of being removed. Other times it happens six or twelve months after sucker removal and yet before rooting. In either case, it poses a risk to the new caudex. It is generally agreed that there is a risk of desiccation and death of the caudex as the leaves lose water and the caudex has minimal ability to absorb water without roots. Also, the leaves don’t have a nutritional flow except from the caudex. The throw of new leaves might have used up the energy reserves of the caudex. <br />Once observed, the problem is what to do. Remember to inspect for and treat any rot. One may treat with fungicide and certainly place the caudex back in pumice. But, what of the leaves; remove them or leave them in place? There is no perfect answer for this, but most growers would remove all or part of the leaves thrown. In actual fact, usually these leaves will abort soon after throwing and seldom do they persist as healthy leaves. Sometimes the collapse of these leaves is rapidly followed by a collapse of the caudex. Yet, if they survive, could they not be able to offer some photosynthesis and creation of energy? For this reason, some would say remove all of the leaves except a few and cut those remaining leaves in half. Once repotted back into pumice, carefully avoid watering the crown on such a plant. <br /><br /><br />Encephalartos caudex showing crown rot, evident as soft scales near the crown pull apart.<br /><br /><br />Encephalartos, healthy caudex but no roots and no leaves as of yet.<br /> <br /><br /><br />New leaves shorter than new ones.<br /> <br /><br />Leaves are shorter than normal<br />If your leaves emerge shorter than they did the last time, there can be a few problems:<br /><br />a) If you are acclimating your cycad (working it out into sun), the new leaves may be shorter than those which flushed in a shadier environment. This is not a problem; your cycad will grow out of it.<br />b) If this is the first throw of a recently established sucker or a recently transplanted cycad, short leaves can occur. This will change with successive throws.<br />c) A throw of leaves in the coldest part of the winter can stunt their length. You might see this on a recently imported and established caudex whose "biological clock" is set to another hemisphere. <br />c) Leaves emerging shorter can also be an indication of a cultural problem. This could be nutritional requiring treatment with fertilizer or microelements. It could be from a poor soil mix or poor soil aeration. Or, it could be a symptom of caudex or root rot. If you think it is indicated, carefully remove that plant from its pot and wash away the excess dirt with a hose. Inspect the roots or caudex for rot. With a plant in the ground, gently rock the cycad to see if it is loose in the ground, suggesting root rot. You can also check the trunk of your cycad to see if it is soft in exposed areas. If rot is found, treat as described elsewhere in this article.<br />Keys to good culture. <br /><br />How to avoid problems<br /><br />“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It might even be that it’s worth many pounds of cure with cycads. Below are some simple rules to follow.<br /><br />Inspection<br /><br />This is one of the most important things you can do. Follow the guidelines mentioned previously and practice observation, especially watching for problems or failure to thrive. Usually you can find the problem and fix it.<br /> <br /><br />Growing the right cycads<br /><br />Growing the right cycads for you area is important. This will involve your talking to someone or doing a little research on your own, but it can make a huge difference in your garden. You will find that some cycads want a tropical environment where some want a dry one. Fortunately for us in Southern California, we can grow most cycads. Our limitations here are with those cycads with the most tropical demands. If you live in a temperate or colder area, tropical Zamias might prove impossible without a greenhouse. You might also find that South African species of Encephalartos grow better than those from Central Africa. Also, very humid climates such as in Miami or the Tropics might find arid growers like Encephalartos horridus prone to rot. This might require special preventative cultural techniques. For the greatest chances of success, get species right for your area.<br /> <br />Drainage, drainage, drainage<br /><br />Regardless of your soil type, always maintain good drainage. The soil should never be waterlogged. Sand, pumice and gravel help promote drainage. Very fine sand, leafy organic material and clay-type topsoil slow it down. If it is impossible to offer good drainage in the garden, mound up you cycads above the soil line so you can control the water content of the soil.<br /><br /><br />Soil<br /><br />Either make or amend you soil to create good drainage. See our article on cycad soil for specific formulas. Remember that the organic components of cycad mix can break down, resulting in “muck” at the bottom of the pot or an impediment to drainage. Repotting is the remedy for this problem. This is important for container culture. In the garden consider amending with sand. If you can’t buy or obtain materials for a good cycad soil, think about using a cactus and succulent mix. These might suffice. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Adequate sun<br /><br />We have seen many promising cycads stall because they have lost their sunlight. This is usually the result of competitive more rapidly growing plants. If a species wants sun, remember to maintain it. Loss of sun will lead to a plant that just sits there and doesn’t do much of anything. <br /><br />Fertilizing<br /><br />Fertilizing is an important part in growing any plant. The key is to know what kind, how often and how much you should fertilizer you should use. We recommend using a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote, using an N/P/K ratio that is 3-1-2 or 3-1-3. An example of a good fertilizer might therefore be 18:6:18. You should fertilize once every three to four months, depending on your formulae and release rate. I always recommend that you use a little less fertilizer than what is suggested on the bag because you don’t kill plants with too little fertilizer, but you do with too much.<br /><br />Watering<br /><br />Watering is an important part of growing cycads, because there’s hardly a cycad that likes to have wet feet. Get use to inspecting your garden soil or the soil in he containers. Don’t let it stay too damp. Drying out near the surface is preferable on most species. Typically, watering frequencies for temperate weather is about once, or possibly twice a week during hot weather. During the winter, once every week or two is usually adequate. For desert type environments, adjust the frequency depending on the soil moisture content. For tropical environments, try to avoid conditions where the plant and soil are continually damp. Mounding might be necessary. Or, overhead shielding during the rainy season might be needed. Also, regardless of where you are, water the garden or container soil, not the crown of the plant. Repetitive watering of the crown will lead to rot. This means that frequent overhead sprinklers can be a problem. Ground bubblers on timers can be great for the cycad garden. This also explains why climates with daily monsoon seasons can lead to difficulties with some species. <br /><br />Ventilation<br /><br /> In a greenhouse environment, ventilation to provide adequate air movement around your cycads will help prevent mold and rot. Stationary oscillating fans or intake/exhaust fans can help accomplish this. Poor ventilation often causes mold and scale problems in the greenhouse. <br /><br />Prophylactic treatment<br /><br />Get into the habit of inspecting your plants. If you see fungal problems or rot, treat it early. Fungicides can also be used prophylacticly to avoid problems if you are anticipating them. This would especially apply to plants grown in a humid greenhouse.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Oscillating large fan in the greenhouse.<br /><br />In this article we have covered many of the basics in protecting your cycads. The great thing about it is that cycads really do not take much maintenance at all. You could say that they almost thrive on neglect. Just be careful when you water, don’t fertilize too much and make sure that your cycad is in a quick draining soil and has adequate light. If you do the things discussed above, you should become a successful cycad grower.<br /><br />- Posted by Zeal Property Maintenance P/L from iPad.<br />propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-63563218594939303352010-10-09T13:47:00.001-07:002010-10-09T13:47:23.991-07:00lace MitesAzalea Lace Bugs - fact sheet<br />The Azalea Lace Bug (Stephanitis pyrioides), an insect originating from Japan, is a signicant pest of azaleas and rhododendrons in many regions of the world where these plants are cultivated. The bug especially attacks plants growing in sunny, exposed situations.<br />Symptoms of lace bug attack<br />The feeding activity of every stage of the lace bug life cycle produces a widespread grey-whitish/silvery mottling on the upper surfaces of the leaves, similar in colour but coarser in texture to that caused by spider mites. Adult and juvenile lace bugs feed on the undersurfaces of azalea and rhododendron leaves. The mottling is usually so severe that leaves that have been attacked are permanently disfigured. Leaves will die and fall from the plant well before their time. Sticky brown patches or ‘varnish’ (excretory products of the lace bugs) appear on the undersides of the leaves. The Azalea Lace Bug is widespread throughout Australia.<br />Life cycle<br />The lace bug has at least two (and possibly four) generations per year in Australia. Adults reach 4-6 mm in length. They have clear, heavily veined wings - hence the insects’ common name. Juvenile lace bugs are wingless, spiny, have long antennae relative to their body length, and have a black and tan mottled colouring giving them an overall dark appearance.<br />There are probably five nymphal instars. Nymphal moult skins often remain stuck to lace bug varnish on the undersides of leaves. Lace bugs overwinter in the egg stage, hatching when conditions improve for them in the sping. Eggs are inserted into the mid-vein on the underside of the azalea or rhododendron leaf as they are laid. They have a brown protective covering which hardens on contact with air.<br />Control<br />Lace bugs are particularly difficult to control. There is currently no known effective biological control agent (e.g. a parasitic wasp). There are some pesticides that are registered for the control of this pest.<br /> <br /> <br /><br />Call 1300 882 787<br />Servicing the Blue Mountains<br />and Western Sydney<br />ACN 127 048 015<br />www.propertymaintenance.net.au<br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br />- Posted by Zeal Property Maintenance P/L from iPad.<br />propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-42656236104068598102010-10-09T13:04:00.001-07:002010-10-09T13:04:32.916-07:00Curl grubbGeneral information<br />Scarab beetle larvae, also known as white curl grub (or cockchafer in southern states), are a serious lawn pest. The signs of infestation are easily confused with other pests, diseases and disorders in turf and present as a general yellowing, then browning, followed by the death of lawn.<br />Overview<br />Pest characteristics<br />In subtropical areas, lawn injury is commonly seen from November through to January. The most common causal agent is African black beetle (Heteronychus arator), although a number of native and non-native scarabs look similar and produce comparable damage. These include pruinose scarab (Sericesthis geminata) and Argentine scarab (Cyclocephala signaticollis). If in doubt, have the pest formally identified.<br />Third instar African black beetle larvae grow to 20-25 mm in length before pupating in the soil. They have an orange-brown head capsule. Oval-shaped, shiny black adults, 12-15 mm long, emerge during February, feeding on stems just below ground level. They are less active through winter and mate in spring after the female has reached sexual maturity.<br />Only one generation is produced each year. Deceptively, different larval stages are sometimes found in the soil. This is mainly due to eggs being laid at different times.<br />Correct names<br />White curl grub, scarab beetle larvae, lawn beetle larvae or cockchafer are the correct common names for the juvenile stage of lawn beetle. However, white curl grub is sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'lawn grub' and 'witchety grub'. 'Lawn grub' is a colloquial term for surface-dwelling caterpillars such as sod webworm, army worm and cutworm, which become moths. The true witchety grub is the wood-feeding larva of two families of giant Australian moth.<br />Symptoms<br />White curl grubs have a characteristic 'C' shape and three pairs of legs. They live underground, protected by soil. Animals such as magpies, crows, wood duck and other carnivorous birds, bandicoots and even foxes enjoy this food source. Damage from animal feeding can be the first indicator that the insects are present.<br />Some white curl grubs are parasitised by the yellow (hairy) flower wasp (Campsomeris tasmaniensis) in southern Queensland. This 30 mm-long hairy wasp with yellow and black banding on its abdomen can also act as an indicator of the presence of beetle larvae.<br />The late second instar and third instar phases of the beetle’s lifecycle are the most damaging to turf. These larger larvae are voracious feeders on roots and underground stems. The adults also feed on turf, but cause much less damage.<br />What often differentiates white curl grub damage from other types of lawn dieback, such as that caused by drought or water repellent soils, is that the lawn starts to slip or roll up like a carpet. If this symptom is detected it is time to bring out a large corer or shovel and dig for beetle larva.<br />A problem infestation is generally regarded to be 25 or more white curl grubs per square metre. If fewer larvae are present, healthy turf is likely to outgrow the minor damage it will sustain. Under heat and drought stress, the problem may be exacerbated by poor rates of regrowth and smaller numbers of larvae can cause significant damage.<br />Host range<br />African black beetles establish in a wide range of grasses including green couch, blue couch, soft leaf buffalo grass and kikuyu. The insect has a broad range of dietary preferences and larvae will attack, among other things, strawberries, pineapples, potatoes and grape vines.<br />Detection<br />Control measures are most effective when insect activity is monitored. One way of doing this is to moisten a hessian bag or piece of carpet and place it on the lawn overnight. In the morning the adults can be collected and disposed of. Check for adult beetles from late spring to early summer when egg laying commences.<br />It is thought that garden lighting may be helpful in attracting and detecting adult beetles. However, this may have the unwanted side effect of increasing egg laying activity in adjacent lawn areas. Turning off unnecessary garden lighting may reduce pest numbers.<br />Biological controls<br />Some householders encourage carnivorous birds into their garden to control the pest. However, if the white curl grub problem is severe, bird feeding can cause extensive damage in its own right. Free range poultry will also keep pest numbers in check.<br />A bucket of soapy water made with a biodegradable detergent can be poured onto affected areas, encouraging the larvae and beetles to move to the surface where they might be picked off by birds.<br />Effective control of later larval stages is only achievable with insect killing nematodes, known as entomopathogenic nematodes (ENs). They are active only against specific soil-dwelling insects, safe to handle and safe for plants. These nematodes were commercialised in 1999 after extensive research by the CSIRO Division of Entomology in Canberra.<br />ENs for African black beetle are raised in a laboratory and shipped in a dormant state. When received, the ENs must first be hydrated in water, and then lightly stirred to avoid settling. The suspension can then be watered onto a pre-moistened lawn. This needs to be done in the late afternoon because ENs are sensitive to the sun’s ultra-violet rays.<br />Upon release, the nematodes sense their target, move to it, and enter their prey through openings in its body. They then release bacteria that feed on the inside of the larva. The bacterium nurtures the nematode population, which builds up to the point where the larvae dies, rupturing to release a new generation of ENs into the soil.<br />Chemical control<br />Read garden chemical product labels carefully prior to purchase. Make sure the product is registered for use on home lawns for lawn beetle. There are three stages of the lawn beetles’ lifecycle for which a chemical may be registered. Use the chemical on the correct part of the lifecycle, strictly following the directions on the label.<br />Chemical control measures are most effective on newly hatched larvae. The presence of adult beetles is a cue to check the soil for early stages of the lifecycle, which are vulnerable to imidacloprid (Confidor) and thiamethoxam (Meridan) applications.<br />The organophosphate, chlorpyrifos (various lawn beetle and lawn grub formulations), is registered for the control of lawn beetle larvae and adults. In practice, the chemical is only effective on larvae if it infiltrates the soil and reaches the insect. It does not work well on larvae with high body fat. In addition, chlorpyrifos is highly toxic to the user and needs to be handled with caution.<br />Prior to treatment, water the lawn well to bring the larvae closer to the surface. Penetration of chemical will also be enhanced by mowing, then raking out thatch, before treatment.<br />The adult beetle is easier to control. Other chemicals registered for the control of adults have the active ingredients beta-cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin (Baythroid) and diazinon (Pennside). Synthetic pyrethroids (such as bifenthrin and cyfluthrin forms) are safer to handle than organophosphates such as diazinon and chlorpyrifos. Pennside has been micro-encapsuled, reducing its toxicity to users.<br /> <br /><br />Call 1300 882 787<br />Servicing the Blue Mountains<br />and Western Sydney<br />ACN 127 048 015<br />www.propertymaintenance.net.au<br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br />- Posted by Zeal Property Maintenance P/L from iPad.<br />propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-11218484349198142162010-10-08T15:06:00.001-07:002010-10-08T15:06:19.015-07:00Coicheli MicheliaMichelia figo<br />(Port wine Magnolia)<br /> HEIGHT 3M AFTER 10 YEARS<br /> WIDTH 2M AFTER 10 YEARS<br /> FULL SUN<br /> SEMI SHADE<br /> FRAGRANT FLOWERS<br /> CONTAINER PLANT<br /> <br />DESCRIPTION – An attractive evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves that slowly grows to its maximum height. It is an old favourite for many people because of it highly scented yellow-purple flowers that are produced during Spring, early Summer and Autumn.<br />CULTURAL - Michelias, a relative of the Magnolia, prefer a moist, fertile and well drained soil that is slightly acidic so when planting it helps if the position has been prepared that way. A warm, sunny aspect is best, though they do tolerate partial shade. We advise an annual application of good quality fertilizer in Spring, and mulching and watering during the drier months especially when the plant is establishing itself.<br />LANDSCAPE USE – Most famous for its small flowers-their strong sweet scent will drift about in the air so it is a great one for planting around entertaining areas or close to the home.<br /><br /><br />- Posted by Zeal Property Maintenance P/L from iPad.<br />propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2416777908087099081.post-45832576682837716502010-09-29T00:37:00.001-07:002010-09-29T00:37:24.428-07:00Greenlife*<a href="http://anlscape.com.au/_literature_66791/Greenlife_'Mulch_and_Compost'_Specification" target="_blank">Hi people, you really should check this product out.</a><br /><br /><br />- Posted by Zeal Property Maintenance P/L from iPad.<br />propertymaintenancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026196348380641156noreply@blogger.com0