NZ Myrtaceae Key - Online edition

Eucalyptus gunnii Hook.f.


Common Names

cider gum

Origin

Australia: Tasmania, usually from poorly drained sites in cold upland areas.

Cultivation

In New Zealand cultivated occasionally in parks, as shelter or in forestry trials; very few records of naturalisation from nearby specimens.

Distribution

Present throughout the South Island and southern North Island of New Zealand.

Distinguishing Features

  • A tree to 25 m tall, with bark smooth throughout or with some rough bark on basal one metre of trunk; smooth bark mottled white, yellow, pink, brown, green or grey; branchlets often conspicuously waxy grey-white.
  • Adult leaves grey-green to blue-green, same colour above and below dull, alternate, stalked, blade shape variable, lanceolate to elliptic to ovate, to 90 mm long and 35 mm wide, thick, may be wavy, side-veins at an angle greater than 45° to midrib, oil glands may be obscure.
  • Juvenile leaves opposite and stalkless for at least 40 nodes, broadly round to heart-shaped, to 45 mm long and 40 mm wide, margin smooth or scalloped, grey-green or waxy grey-white.
  • Crown of tree often has conspicuously waxy grey-white new growth.
  • Flowers in clusters of 3, in leaf axils, stalked. Mature buds ovate, to 9 mm long and 5 mm wide, slightly or definitely waxy grey-white, weathering to green to reddish-brown; bud caps conical to narrowly pointed to rounded or flattened, flowers white.
  • Fruit a woody capsule, stalkless or short-stalked, cylindrical to barrel-shaped, often slightly contracted below rim, to 9 mm long and 7 mm wide, sometimes slightly ribbed or angled longitudinally, often waxy grey-white; disc descending inside the rim, valves 3 or 4, near rim level or enclosed within the rim.

Habit

Tree to 25 m tall.

Bark and Stem/Trunk

Bark smooth throughout or with some imperfectly shed rough bark on basal one metre of trunk; smooth bark mottled white, yellow, pink, brown, green or grey, branchlets often conspicuously waxy grey-white; ribbons absent. Hairs and adventitious roots absent. Young stem rounded or square in cross-section, may or may not be waxy grey-white.

Leaves

Adult leaves alternate, stalked, blade lanceolate to elliptic to ovate, 40–90 mm long, 12–35 mm wide, thick, may be wavy, base tapering to stalk, dull, grey-green to blue-green, same colour above and below, hairless; side-veins at an angle greater than 45° to midrib, vein reticulation moderate to dense, intramarginal vein parallel to and just within margin or well removed from it, oil glands may be obscure; leaf stalk 9–23 mm long.

Juvenile leaves opposite and stalkless for at least 40 nodes, broadly round to heart-shaped, 13–45 mm long, 17–40 mm wide, margin smooth or scalloped, grey-green or waxy grey-white. Crown of tree often has conspicuously waxy grey-white new growth.

Flowers

Flowers in clusters of 3, in leaf axils, stalk of cluster slightly angular, 3–9 mm long; buds stalkless or bud stalks to 4 mm long. Mature buds free, ovate, 5–9 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, slightly or definitely waxy grey-white weathering to green then to reddish-brown; bud caps conical to narrowly pointed to rounded or flattened, flowers (stamens) white; in mature open flowers, petals and sepals absent. Main flowering period: summer, with some flowering from spring to autumn.

Fruit

Capsules woody, stalkless or on stalks to 3 mm long, are cylindrical to barrel-shaped, often slightly contracted below rim, 5–9 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, sometimes slightly ribbed or angled longitudinally, often waxy grey-white, disc descending inside the rim, valves 3 or 4, near rim level or enclosed within the rim.

Similar Species

Eucalyptus gunnii, E. cordata and E. perriniana are in a group of eucalypts with orbicular to heart-shaped juvenile leaves that are opposite for many nodes, have a grey-green to blue-green tree crown, and buds in threes. These three species all have smooth bark. Capsules are usually waxy grey-white, cup-shaped or cylindrical.

  • Eucalyptus gunnii sometimes has up to one metre of rough bark at the base, the smooth bark is usually mottled, and branchlets are often conspicuously waxy grey-white. Juvenile leaves are broadly round to heart-shaped, grey-green or waxy grey-white, the margin smooth or scalloped. The crown often has conspicuously waxy grey-white new growth amongst grey-green to blue-green, more lanceolate adult foliage. Capsules are cylindrical to barrel-shaped, often slightly contracted below rim.
  • The bark of E. cordata is mottled, branchlets usually waxy grey-white. The crown of E. cordata has waxy grey-white, stalkless, stem-clasping, juvenile leaves or a mixture of juvenile and intermediate leaves, and occasionally adult leaves at top of the crown. Leaf margins may be scalloped.
  • Eucalyptus perriniana has smooth bark that is copper-coloured when new, weathering to greenish or white, with a small amount of rough bark remaining at the base of large trees. Tree crowns retain many opposite, stalkless, smooth-edged juvenile leaves that are joined across the stem to the leaf on the other side; stalked, lanceolate intermediate and adult leaves are not always formed.

Notes

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.

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