Eucalyptus globulus subsp. pseudoglobulus (Naudin) J.B.Kirkp.

Eucalyptus pseudoglobulus (Naudin) Maiden

Gippsland blue gum, Victorian eurabbie

Australia: mainly in Victoria, and also a population in New South Wales.

In New Zealand occasionally cultivated as landscape trees; no naturalisations recorded.

A small number of scattered records from the North Island of New Zealand.

• A tree to 45 m tall with bark smooth apart from base which has persistent slabs of rough bark, shedding in large strips and slabs; smooth bark white, cream, grey, pink, yellowish or pale creamy orange, often with ribbons of shed bark in the upper branches.
• Young stems flanged and square in cross-section; waxy grey-white saplings and coppice very conspicuous.
• Long, green, adult leaves to 350 mm long and 45 mm wide, glossy, alternate, stalked, lanceolate to sickle-shaped.
• Juvenile leaves that are opposite and stalkless for many pairs, broadly elliptic to ovate to 100 mm long and 60 mm wide, base stem-clasping, margin sometimes scalloped, usually upper surface green or slightly waxy grey-white and the lower surface copiously white-waxy.
• Flowers in clusters of 3, in leaf axils, stalk of cluster flattened; mature buds are stalkless or with short, angular stalks, green, club-shaped, to 12 mm long and 8 mm wide, with longitudinal ribs, bud cap flattened with a central, raised knob, flowers white.
• Fruit a woody capsule, usually on stalks to 5 mm long or stalkless, funnel-shaped, to 11 mm long and 16 mm wide, usually slightly ribbed longitudinally, may be waxy grey-white, disc raised and lobed above the rim or level, valves 3 or 4, projecting above the rim or near rim level.

Tree to 45 m tall.

Bark smooth apart from base which has persistent slabs of rough bark, shedding in large strips and slabs; smooth bark white, cream, grey, pink, yellowish or pale creamy orange, often with ribbons of shed bark in the upper branches. Branchlets occasionally waxy grey-white. Hairs and adventitious roots absent. Young stems square in cross-section, and prominently winged, waxy grey-white.

Adult leaves alternate, stalked, blade lanceolate to sickle-shaped, 130–350 mm long, 15–45 mm wide, base tapering to stalk, glossy, green, same colour above and below, hairless; side-veins usually at an angle greater than 45° to midrib, vein reticulation dense, intramarginal vein parallel to and well removed from margin, oil glands present; leaf stalk 15–38 mm long.

Juvenile leaves opposite and stalkless for many pairs, oblong to elliptic then ovate, 33–100 mm long, 20–60 mm wide, base stem-clasping, margin sometimes scalloped, usually different colour above and below with upper surface green or slightly waxy grey-white and the lower surface copiously white-waxy.

Flowers in clusters of 3, in leaf axils, stalk of cluster flattened, 3–10 mm long; buds stalkless to stout-stalked (stalks angular, 0–5 mm long). Mature buds free, club-shaped, 9–12 mm long, 7–8 mm wide, green to yellow or waxy grey-white, warty, with longitudinal ribs, bud cap flattened with a prominent central, raised conical tip, flowers (stamens) white; in mature open flowers, petals and sepals absent. Main flowering period: late summer.

Capsules woody, on stalks to 5 mm long, or stalkless, funnel-shaped, 6–8(–11) mm long, 9–12(–16) mm wide, usually slightly ribbed longitudinally, may be waxy grey-white, disc raised and lobed over the 3 to 4 valves, which are at about rim level or slightly projecting above the rim.

The four subspecies of E. globulus have very similar bark, adult and juvenile foliage; buds usually with a warty, waxy-white, flattened cap with central knob; woody capsules varying from rounded to funnel-shaped; but they differ in number of buds or capsules in a cluster, and the size of buds and capsules.

• Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus usually has large, solitary, warty buds or capsules, but very occasionally they are in 3s. Capsules to 21 mm long, to 27 mm wide.
• Eucalyptus globulus subsp. bicostata and E. globulus subsp. pseudoglobulus have buds in 3s, but the former typically has sessile buds that are waxy grey-white, and a very short cluster stalk, with capsules to 22 mm wide, whereas the latter usually has the central bud on a short stalk, buds are often strongly ribbed, may or may not be waxy grey-white, the stalk of the cluster is broad and flattened, to 10 mm long and capsules are smaller, to 16 mm wide.
• Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii has smaller, stalked buds in clusters of 7 that may or may not be waxy grey-white, the stalk of the cluster is flattened and long, to 25 mm, and smaller capsules to 10 mm wide.

Eucalyptus globulus is a forest tree species that is widespread in the ranges and subcoastal forests of eastern New South Wales, eastern, southern and central Victoria, and Tasmania. It is notable for the very conspicuous seedlings, coppice and young saplings with square stems and large, waxy grey-white, oblong to ovate, stalkless juvenile leaves. The trunks are mostly smooth and the adult leaves are large, bright glossy green and usually sickle-shaped.

Intergradation commonly occurs between E. globulus subsp. globulus, E. globulus subsp. bicostata and E. globulus subsp. pseudoglobulus where they come into contact, and with populations in southern Victoria it may be impossible to attribute a specimen to any particular subspecies.

Eucalyptus is a genus of nearly 800 species, most of which are endemic to Australia, with a few species extending to parts of Malesia and as far north as the Philippines.

• EUCLID
• Flora of Australia
• GBIF
• iNaturalist NZ
• PlantNET: New South Wales Flora Online (Eucalyptus pseudoglobulus)
• Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
• VicFlora: Flora of Victoria