Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus melliodora foliage and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Eucalyptus L'Hér.
Natural range
Species
About 700; see the List of Eucalyptus species

Eucalyptus (From Greek, ευκάλυπτος meaning "well covered") is a diverse genus of trees (and a few shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. Eucalyptus melliodora, commonly known as Yellow Box, is a medium sized to occasionally tall eucalypt. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Magnoliopsida is the Botanical name for a class of Flowering plants By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its The Myrtales are an order of Flowering plants placed as a basal group within the rosid group of Dicotyledons (not a member of eurosids I or eurosids II The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of Dicotyledon Plants placed within the order Myrtales. Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (15 June 1746 - 18 August 1800 was an 18th century French botanist and magistrate This is a list of 746 Eucalyptus Species and 3 hybrids. Notable revisions Many species are now classified under the genera A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. There are more than seven hundred species of Eucalyptus, mostly native to Australia, with a very small number found in adjacent parts of New Guinea and Indonesia and one as far north as the Philippines islands. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Many Eucalyptus have been planted in various parts of the world including dry regions of California and in Africa, Portugal, Spain, South America, and on forestry plantations in India and China. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Members of the genus can be found in almost every region of the Australian continent, because they have adapted to all of its climatic conditions; in fact no other continent is so characterised by a single genus of tree as Australia is by its eucalyptus. Many, but far from all, are known as gum trees in reference to the habit of many species to exude copious sap from any break in the bark (e. g. Scribbly Gum). Scribbly gum ( Eucalyptus haemastoma) is an Australian Eucalypt that is named after the 'scribbles' on its bark

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Size and habit 1.2 Leaves 1.3 Flowers 1.4 Bark 1.4.1 Bark characteristics 2 Species and hybridism 3 Related genera 4 Tall timber 5 Tolerance 6 Animal relationships 7 Hazards 8 Fire 9 Cultivation and uses 10 History 11 Plantation and ecological problems 11.1 California 11.2 Brazil 11.3 Ethiopia 11.4 Madagascar 11.5 Uruguay 12 Photo gallery 13 Notes 14 References 15 External links 15.1 Medicinal resources, eucalyptus essential oil

Description

Size and habit

A Eucalyptus may be mature as a low shrub or as a very large tree. Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The River Red Gum ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis) is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. Tocumwal is a town in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area, near For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Eucalyptus cretata, Darke Peak Mallee, is a mallee or rarely a small tree restricted to the upper Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, particularly Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Eucalyptus angustissima, or Narrow-leaved Mallee, is a small tree that is native to the south of Western Australia. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Eucalyptus platypus, also known as the Moort or Round-leaved Moort, is a small tree which occurs in an area between Albany and Esperance in Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 There are three main habit and four size categories that species can be divided into. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank.

As a generalisation "forest trees" are single-stemmed and have a crown forming a minor proportion of the whole tree height. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria The crown of Woody plants ( Trees Shrubs is the totality of Branches Twigs and Leaves extending from the Trunk "Woodland trees" are single-stemmed although they may branch at a short distance above ground level. Ecologically a woodland is an area covered in trees differentiated from a Forest.

"Mallees" are multi-stemmed from ground level, usually less than 10 metres in height, often with the crown predominantly at the ends of the branchlets and individual plants may combine to form either an open or closed formation. Mallee is the growth habit of woody plants that grow with multiple stems springing from an underground Lignotuber, usually to a height of no more than ten metres Many mallee trees may be so low growing as to be considered a shrub. A shrub or Bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of Woody plant, distinguished from a Tree

Apart from the forest tree, woodland tree, mallee and shrub habits two further tree forms are notable in Western Australia. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. One of these is the "mallet", which is a small to medium-sized tree, usually of steep branching habit, sometimes fluted at the base of the trunk and often with a conspicuously dense, terminal crown. A mallet is a is small-tree form of Eucalyptus found in Western Australia. It is the habit usually of mature healthy specimens of Eucalyptus occidentalis, E. astringens, E. spathulata, E. gardneri, E. dielsii, E. forrestiana, E. salubris, E. clivicola and E. ornata. The smooth bark of mallets often has a satiny sheen and may be white, cream, grey, green or copper. Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists

Another habit category used in Western Australia is the "marlock". A marlock is a is shrubby or small-tree form of Eucalyptus found in Western Australia. This has been variously applied but Brooker & Hopper (2001) defined the term and restricted the use to describe the more or less pure stands of short, erect, thin-stemmed "trees" that do not produce lignotubers. A lignotuber is a starchy swelling on underground stems or roots These are easily seen and recognised in stands of E. platypus, E. vesiculosa and the unrelated E. stoatei. The marlock is distinguished from mallets which are taller and have a characteristic steep branching habit. The origin and use of the term "morrel" is somewhat obscure and appears to apply to trees of the western Australian wheatbelt and goldfields which have a long, straight trunk, completely rough barked. It is now used mainly for E. longicornis (Red Morell) and E. melanoxylon (Black Morrel).

Tree sizes follow the convention of:

• Small - to 10 metres in height
• Medium sized - 10 to 30 metres in height
• Tall - 30 to 60 metres in height
• Very Tall - over 60 metres in height

Leaves

Nearly all Eucalyptus are evergreen but some tropical species lose their leaves at the end of the dry season. A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted Standards norms social norms or criteria, often taking the form of In Botany, an Evergreen plant is a plant having leaves all year round As in other members of the Myrtle family, Eucalyptus leaves are covered with oil glands. The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of Dicotyledon Plants placed within the order Myrtales. The copious oils produced are an important feature of the genus.

The leaves on a mature Eucalyptus plant are commonly lanceolate, petiolate, apparently alternate and waxy or glossy green. Eucalyptus tetragona, commonly known as either Mealy Gum Silver Marlock Tallerack White Marlock or White-leaved Marlock is a mallee eucalypt with In Botany, the following terms are used to describe the shape of plant leaves: Acicular ( acicularis) Slender and pointed needle-like In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In contrast the leaves of seedlings are frequently opposite, sessile and glaucous. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. However there are numerous exceptions to this pattern. Many species such as E. melanophloia and E. Eucalyptus melanophloia, commonly known as Silver-leaved Ironbark, isa species of Eucalyptus which is native to New South Wales and setosa retain the juvenile leaf form even when the plant is reproductively mature. Some species such as E. macrocarpa, E. Eucalyptus macocarpa, or Mottlecah, is a mallee Eucalyptus that is native to the south-west of Western Australia and noted for its rhodantha and E. crucis are sought after ornamentals due to this lifelong juvenile leaf form. A few species such as E. petraea, E. dundasii and E. lansdowneana have shiny green leaves throughout their life cycle. E. caesia exhibits the opposite pattern of leaf development to most Eucalyptus, with shiny green leaves in the seedling stage and dull, glaucous leaves in mature crowns. Eucalyptus caesia, commonly known as Caesia, Gungurru or Silver Princess, is a Mallee of the Eucalyptus genus The contrast between juvenile and adult leaf phases is valuable in field identification.

Four leaf phases are recognised in the development of a Eucalyptus plant - the ‘seedling’, ‘juvenile’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘adult’ phases. However there is no definite transitional point between the phases. The intermediate phase, when the largest leaves are often formed, links the juvenile and adult phases. ^[1]

In all except a few species the leaves form in pairs on opposite sides of a square stem, consecutive pairs being at right angles to each other (decussate). In some narrow-leaved species - for example E. oleosa - the seedling leaves after the second leaf pair are often clustered in a detectable spiral arrangement about a five sided stem. After the spiral phase, which may last from several to many nodes, the arrangement reverts to decussate by the absorption of some of the leaf bearing faces of the stem. In those species with opposite adult foliage the leaf pairs, which have been formed opposite at the stem apex, become separated at their bases by unequal elongation of the stem to produce the apparently alternate adult leaves.

Flowers

The most readily recognisable characteristics of Eucalyptus species are its distinctive flowers and fruit (capsule). Flowers have numerous fluffy stamens which may be white, cream, yellow, pink or red; in bud the stamens are enclosed in a cap known as an operculum which is composed of the fused sepals or petals or both. Thus flowers have no petals, decorating themselves instead with the many showy stamens. As the stamens expand the operculum is forced off, splitting away from the cup-like base of the flower; this is one of the features that unites the genus. The name Eucalyptus, from the Greek words eu-, well, and kaluptos, cover, meaning "well-covered", describes the operculum. The woody fruits or capsules, known as gumnuts, are roughly cone-shaped and have valves at the end which open to release the seeds. Most species do not flower until adult foliage starts to appear; Eucalyptus cinerea and Eucalyptus perriniana are notable exceptions. Eucalyptus cinerea, Argyle apple or Mealy Stringybark, is a small to medium sized tree with rough bark persistent on the trunk and larger branches Eucalyptus perriniana, commonly known as Spinning Gum, is a tree or mallee which is native to New South Wales, Victoria and

Bark

The appearance of Eucalyptus bark will vary with the age of the plant, the manner of bark shed, the length of the bark fibres, the degree of furrowing, the thickness, the hardness and the colour. Eucalyptus sideroxylon, or Mugga Red Ironbark or Mugga Ironbark, is a small to medium-sized or occasionally tall tree All mature eucalypts put on an annual layer of bark, which contributes to the increasing diameter of the stems. In some species the outermost layer dies and is annually deciduous either in long strips (as in Eucalyptus sheathiana) or in variably sized flakes (Eucalyptus diversicolor, Eucalyptus cosmophylla or Eucalyptus cladocalyx). Karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor) is a eucalypt which is native to the wetter regions of south west of Western Australia. The Sugar Gum ( Eucalyptus cladocalyx) is a eucalypt from South Australia. These are the gums or smooth-barked species. The gum bark may be dull, shiny or satiny (as in Eucalyptus ornata) or matt (Eucalyptus cosmophylla). In many species the dead bark is retained. Its outermost layer gradually fragments with weathering and sheds without altering the essentially rough barked nature of the trunks or stems - for example Eucalyptus marginata, Eucalyptus jacksonii, Eucalyptus obliqua and Eucalyptus porosa. The Red Tingle ( Eucalyptus jacksonii) of south west Western Australia is one of the tallest trees in the state and can measure up to 16 metres round at the base Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark

Many species are ‘half-barks’ or ‘blackbutts’ in which the dead bark is retained in the lower half of the trunks or stems - for example, Eucalyptus brachycalyx, Eucalyptus ochrophloia and Eucalyptus occidentalis - or only in a thick, black accumulation at the base, as in Eucalyptus clelandii. Eucalyptus deglupta is a tall tree commonly known as the Rainbow Eucalyptus, the Mindanao Gum, or the Rainbow Gum. Some species in this category - for example - Eucalyptus youngiana - the rough basal bark is very ribbony at the top, where it gives way to the smooth upper stems. Eucalyptus youngiana, commonly known as Large-fruited Mallee, Ooldea Mallee and Yarldarlba, is a gum tree that occurs in arid and semi-arid areas The smooth upper bark of the half barks and that of the completely smooth-barked trees and mallees can produce remarkable colour and interest, for example Eucalyptus deglupta. Eucalyptus deglupta is a tall tree commonly known as the Rainbow Eucalyptus, the Mindanao Gum, or the Rainbow Gum. ^[1]

Bark characteristics

• Stringybark - consists of long-fibres and can be pulled off in long pieces. It is usually thick with a spongy texture.
• Ironbark - is hard, rough and deeply furrowed. It is impregnated with dried kino (a sap exuded by the tree) which gives a dark red or even black colour.
• Tessellated - bark is broken up into many distinct flakes. They are corkish and can flake off. Cork material is a Prime-subset of generic cork tissue, harvested for commercial use primarily from the Cork Oak tree Quercus
• Box - has short fibres. Some also show tessellation.
• Ribbon - this has the bark coming off in long thin pieces but still loosely attached in some places. They can be long ribbons, firmer strips or twisted curls.

Species and hybridism

There are over 700 species of Eucalyptus; refer to the List of Eucalyptus species for a comprehensive list of species. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. This is a list of 746 Eucalyptus Species and 3 hybrids. Notable revisions Many species are now classified under the genera Some have diverged from the mainstream of the genus to the extent that they are quite isolated genetically and are able to be recognised by only a few relatively invariant characteristics. Divergent evolution is the accumulation of differences between groups which can lead to the formation of new species usually a result of different groups of the same species adapting to different A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is Most, however, may be regarded as belonging to large or small groups of related species, which are often in geographical contact with each other and between which gene exchange still occurs. History See also History of genetics The existence of genes was first suggested by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884 who in the 1860s studied inheritance In these situations many species will appear to grade into one another and intermediate forms are common. In other words, some species are relatively fixed genetically, as expressed in their morphology, while others have not diverged completely from their nearest relatives. The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism

Hybrid individuals have not always been recognised as such on first collection and some have been named as new species, such as E. chrysantha (E. preissiana × E. sepulcralis) and E. "rivalis" (E. marginata × E. megacarpa). Hybrid combinations are not particularly common in the field, but some other published species have been suggested to be hybrid combinations and are frequently seen in Australia. For example, E. erythrandra is believed to be E. angulosa × E. teraptera and due to its wide distribution it is often referred to in texts. ^[1]

Related genera

A small genus of similar trees, Angophora, has also been known since the 18th century. Angophora is a genus of ten species of Trees or large Shrubs in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae) native to eastern Australia. In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the new genus Corymbia. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Corymbia is a genus of about 113 species of tree that were classified as Eucalyptus species until the mid-1990s Although separate, the three groups are allied and it remains acceptable to refer to the members of all three genera Angophora, Corymbia and Eucalyptus as "eucalypts". The coolibah trees, referred to in Waltzing Matilda, are Eucalyptus E. coolabah and E. "Waltzing Matilda" is Australia 's most widely known country Folk song, and has been referred to as 'the unofficial national anthem of Australia' ‎ Eucalyptus coolabah is a eucalypt of Riparian zones and is found throughout Australia from arid inland to coastal regions microtheca.

Tall timber

Several eucalypts are among the tallest trees in the world. Eucalyptus regnans, the Australian Mountain Ash, is the tallest of all flowering plants (Angiosperms); today, the tallest measured specimen is 97 metres tall ^[2]. Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group There are only two taller tree species: the Coast Redwood and the Douglas-fir; they are conifers (Gymnosperms). Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Gymnosperm (Gymnospermae are a group of Spermatophyte seed-bearing Plants with Ovules on the edge or blade of an open Sporophyll, which are Six other eucalypt species exceed 80 metres in height: Eucalyptus obliqua, Eucalyptus delegatensis, Eucalyptus diversicolor, Eucalyptus nitens, Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus viminalis. Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark Eucalyptus delegatensis, commonly known as Alpine Ash or Gum-topped stringybark or White-top is a Sub-alpine or Temperate Karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor) is a eucalypt which is native to the wetter regions of south west of Western Australia. The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an Evergreen tree one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. Eucalyptus viminalis, Manna Gum, also known as White Gum, Ribbon Gum or Viminalis is an Australian eucalypt

Tolerance

Most eucalypts are not tolerant of frost, or only tolerate light frosts down to -3 °C to -5 °C; the hardiest, are the so-called Snow Gums such as Eucalyptus pauciflora which is capable of withstanding cold and frost down to about -20 °C. The Snow Gum ( Eucalyptus pauciflora) is a small Tree or large Shrub, one of the mallee group of the genus Eucalyptus Two sub-species, E. pauciflora subsp. niphophila and E. pauciflora subsp. debeuzevillei in particular are even hardier and can tolerate even quite severe winters. Several other species, especially from the high plateau and mountains of central Tasmania such as Eucalyptus coccifera, Eucalyptus subcrenulata, and Eucalyptus gunnii, have produced extreme cold hardy forms and it is seed procured from these genetically hardy strains that are planted for ornament in colder parts of the world. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass Eucalyptus gunnii ( Cider Gum or Gunnii) is a species of Eucalyptus endemic to Tasmania, occurring on the Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is

Animal relationships

An essential oil extracted from eucalyptus leaves contains compounds that are powerful natural disinfectants and which can be toxic in large quantities. The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus is a thickset Arboreal Marsupial herbivore native to Australia, and the only extant An essential oil is a concentrated Hydrophobic Liquid containing volatile Aroma compounds from Plants They are also known as volatile Several marsupial herbivores, notably koalas and some possums, are relatively tolerant of it. Diprotodontia (Greek meaning "two front teeth" is a large order of about 120 Marsupial mammals including the Kangaroos The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus is a thickset Arboreal Marsupial herbivore native to Australia, and the only extant A possum is any of about 64 small to medium-sized Arboreal Marsupial Species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi The close correlation of these oils with other more potent toxins called formylated phloroglucinol compounds allows koalas and other marsupial species to make food choices based on the smell of the leaves. Phloroglucinol or benzene-135-triol is a process chemical widely used in the industrial synthesis of pharmaceuticals and high-energy chemicals ( Explosives Marsupials are an Infraclass of Mammals characterized by a distinctive pouch (called the marsupium) in which females carry their young through However, it is the formylated phloroglucinol compounds that are the most important factor in choice of leaves by koalas. Eucalyptus flowers produce a great abundance of nectar, providing food for many pollinators including insects, birds, bats and possums. Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral A pollinator is the biotic agent ( vector) that moves Pollen from the male Anthers of a Flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described A possum is any of about 64 small to medium-sized Arboreal Marsupial Species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi Despite the fact that eucalyptus trees are well-defended from herbivores by their toxic essential oils they do have their share of insect pests, such as the Eucalyptus Longhorn Borer Beetle, Phoracantha semipunctuata, or the aphid-like psyllids known as "bell lerps," both of which have become established as pests throughout the world wherever eucalypts are cultivated. The longhorn beetles ( Cerambycidae; also known as long-horned beetles or more archaically longicorns) are a cosmopolitan family of Beetles Beetles are the group of Insects with the largest number of known Species. Psyllids or jumping plant lice are small plant-feeding insects that tend to be very "host specific" i The Bell Miner, Manorina melanophrys, colloquially known as the Bellbird, is a colonial Honeyeater endemic to southeastern Australia.

Further information: list of Lepidoptera that feed on Eucalyptus

Hazards

Many Eucalyptus species have a habit of dropping entire branches off as they grow. Eucalyptus forests are littered with dead branches. Many people have been killed as they camped underneath the trees. It is thought the trees shed very large branches to conserve water during periods of drought.

Fire

On warm days vapourised eucalyptus oil rises above the bush to create the characteristic distant blue haze of the Australian landscape. The bush is a term used for rural possibly lawless undeveloped land or country areas in many places such as Australia, New Zealand, Sub-Saharan Africa Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable (trees have been known to explode^[3][4]) and bush fires can travel easily through the oil-rich air of the tree crowns. Ladysmith-RFSJPG|right|thumb| Ladysmith NSW RFS fire fighting tanker]]A Bushfire is a Fire that occurs in the bush (collective term for The dead bark and fallen branches are also flammable. Eucalypts are well adapted for periodic fires, in fact most species are dependent on them for spread and regeneration. In Biology, an Organism is said to regenerate a lost or damaged part if the part regrows so that the original function is restored They do this via lignotubers, epicormic buds under the bark and from fire-germinated seeds sprouting in the ashes. A lignotuber is a starchy swelling on underground stems or roots

Eucalypts originated between 35 and 50 million years ago, not long after Australia-New Guinea separated from Gondwana, their rise coinciding with an increase in fossil charcoal deposits (suggesting that fire was a factor even then), but they remained a minor component of the Tertiary rainforest until about 20 million years ago when the gradual drying of the continent and depletion of soil nutrients led to the development of a more open forest type, predominantly Casuarina and Acacia species. Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago Casuarina is a Genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeastern Asia, and islands of the Acacia is a Genus of Shrubs and Trees belonging to the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first With the arrival of the first humans about 50 thousand years ago fires became much more frequent and the fire-loving eucalypts soon came to account for roughly 70% of Australian forest.

Eucalypts regenerate quickly after fire. Fire is the heat and light energy released during a Chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. After the Canberra bushfires of 2003, hectares of imported species were killed, but in a matter of weeks the gum trees were putting out suckers and looking generally healthy. The Canberra bushfires of 2003 caused severe damage to the outskirts of Canberra, the Australian capital city

The two valuable timber trees, Alpine Ash E. delegatensis and Mountain Ash E. regnans, are killed by fire and only regenerate from seed. Eucalyptus delegatensis, commonly known as Alpine Ash or Gum-topped stringybark or White-top is a Sub-alpine or Temperate Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy The same 2003 bushfire that had little impact on forests around Canberra resulted in thousands of hectares of dead ash forests. Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. However, a small amount of ash survived and put out new suckers as well. There has been some debate as to whether to leave the stands, or attempt to harvest the mostly undamaged timber, which is increasingly recognised as a damaging practice.

Cultivation and uses

Eucalyptus have many uses which have made them economically important trees. Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Perhaps the Karri and the Yellow box varieties are the best known. Karri ( Eucalyptus diversicolor) is a eucalypt which is native to the wetter regions of south west of Western Australia. Eucalyptus melliodora, commonly known as Yellow Box, is a medium sized to occasionally tall eucalypt. Due to their fast growth the foremost benefit of these trees is the wood. They provide many desirable characteristics for use as ornament, timber, firewood and pulpwood. Pulpwood refers to Timber grown with the principal purpose of making Wood pulp for Paper production Fast growth also makes eucalypts suitable as windbreaks. A windbreak or shelterbelt is a Plantation usually made up of one or more rows of Trees or Shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter Eucalypts draw a tremendous amount of water from the soil through the process of transpiration. Transpiration is the Evaporation of water from the aerial parts of Plants especially leaves but also stems Flowers and Roots They have been planted (or re-planted) in some places to lower the water table and reduce soil salination. Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil Salt affected soils are caused by excess accumulation of salts typically most pronounced at the soil surface Eucalypts have also been used as a way of reducing malaria by draining the soil in Algeria, Sicily^[5] and also in Europe and California^[6]. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Drainage removes swamps which provide a habitat for mosquito larvae, but such drainage can also destroy ecologically productive areas. Mosquitoes are insects in the family Culicidae. They have a pair of scaled wings a pair of Halteres, a slender body and long legs A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example This drainage is limited to the soil surface only since the eucalyptus roots have up to 2. 5m length, not reaching the phreatic zone, meaning that rain or irrigation can wet the soil again.

Eucalyptus oil is readily steam distilled from the leaves and can be used for cleaning, deodorising, and in very small quantities in food supplements; especially sweets, cough drops and decongestants. Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated Steam distillation is a special type of Distillation (a separation process) for temperature sensitive materials like natural aromatic compounds Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an Confectionery is a set of Food items that are rich in Sugar; modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well Eucalyptus oil has insect repellent properties (Jahn 1991 a, b; 1992), and is an active ingredient in some commercial mosquito repellents (Fradin & Day 2002).

The nectar of some eucalyptus produces high quality monofloral honey. Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral Monofloral honey is a type of Honey which has a high value in the Marketplace because it has a distinctive flavor or other attribute due to its being predominantly Eucalyptus is also used to make the digeridoo, a musical wind instrument made popular by Australian aborigines. The didgeridoo (also known as a didjeridu or didge) is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia.

In the Adirondack Mountains it has been used for years to kill dust mites in bedding.

All parts of the eucalyptus may be used to make plant dyes that are substantive on protein fibres (silk and wool) simply by processing the plant part with water. A dye can generally be described as a Colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Colours to be achieved range from yellow and orange through green, tan, chocolate and deep rust red. The material remaining after processing can be safely used as mulch or fertilisers. .

History

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 Captain James Cook. Sir Joseph Banks 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (13 February 1743 &ndash 19 June 1820 was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of Daniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander ( 19 February 1733 – 13 May 1782) was a Swedish Botanist Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and There they collected specimens of E. gummifera and later, near the Endeavour River in northern Queensland, they collected E. The Endeavour River ( Guugu Yimithirr: Wabalumbaal) on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia, was named in 1770 platyphylla; neither of these species was named as such at the time.

In 1777, on Cook's third expedition, David Nelson collected a eucalypt on Bruny Island in southern Tasmania. Bruny Island ( is an island off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, from which it is separated by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass This specimen was taken to the British Museum in London, and it was named Eucalyptus obliqua by the French botanist L'Héritier, who was working in London at the time. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (15 June 1746 - 18 August 1800 was an 18th century French botanist and magistrate 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. In Botany, operculum may be used to describe any of the following A flap of the sporangium of a moss, covering the peristome (appendages surrounding This organ protects the developing flower parts as the flower develops and is shed by the pressure of the emerging stamens at flowering. The stamen ( Plural stamina or stamens, from Latin stamen meaning "thread of the warp " is the male

The name obliqua was derived from the Latin obliquus, meaning "oblique" which is the botanical term 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 place. Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis.

In naming E. obliqua, L'Héritier caused to be perpetuated, most likely by accident, a feature common to all eucalypts - the operculum. In his choice of a specific name, he recognised not only the characteristic feature of E. obliqua, but one common to many other species as well. E. obliqua was published in 1788-89 and coincides with the date of the first official European settlement of Australia.

Between 1788-89 and the turn 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. Sir James Edward Smith ( December 2, 1759 &ndash March 17, 1828) was an English botanist and founder of the Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 These include the economically valuable E. pilularis, E. saligna and E. tereticornis.

The nineteenth century saw the endeavours of 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 in 1867 - which today remains the only complete Australian flora. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG (German Müller) (June 30 1825 &ndash October 10 1896 was a German-Australian Physician George Bentham CMG FRS ( September 22, 1800 &ndash September 10, 1884) was an English Botanist, characterized by Duane Isely The account in Bentham is the most important early systematic treatment of the genus. Bentham divided the genus into five series whose distinctions were based on characteristics of the stamens, particularly the anthers (Mueller, 1879-84), elborated further by Joseph Henry Maiden (1903-33), and taken even further by William Faris Blakely (1934). By this time the anther system had become too complex to be workable and more recent systematic work has concentrated on the characteristics of buds, fruits, leaves and bark.

The first endemic Western Australian Eucalyptus to be collected and subsequently named was the yate (E. cornuta) by the French botanist La Billardiére, who collected in what is now the Esperance area in 1792. Esperance is a town in Western Australia, located on the south coast around half-way between Albany and the South Australian border ^[1]

Plantation and ecological problems

Eucalyptus was first introduced to the rest of the world by Sir Joseph Banks, botanist, on the Cook expedition in 1770. Sir Joseph Banks 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (13 February 1743 &ndash 19 June 1820 was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and They have subsequently been introduced to many parts of the world, notably California, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa, Uganda, Israel, Galicia and Chile. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the In Spain they have been planted in pulpwood plantations. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco Eucalyptus are the basis for several industries, such as sawmilling, pulp, charcoal and others. Several species have become invasive and are causing major problems for local ecosystems, mainly due to the absence of wildlife corridors and rotations management. Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions

California

In the 1850s eucalyptus trees were introduced to California by Australians travelling to California during the California Gold Rush. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California Much of California has a similar climate to parts of Australia. By the early 1900s thousands of acres of eucalypts were planted with the encouragement of the state government. It was hoped that they would provide a renewable source of timber for construction and furniture making.

They went on to note that the promise of eucalyptus in California was based on the old virgin forests of Australia. This was a mistake as the young trees being harvested in California could not compare in quality to the centuries-old eucalyptus timber of Australia. It reacted differently to harvest. The older trees didn't split or warp as the infant California crop did. There was a vast difference between the two, and this would doom the California eucalyptus industry. ^[7]

One way in which the eucalyptus, mainly the blue gum E. globulus, proved valuable in California was in providing windbreaks for highways, orange groves, and other farms in the mostly treeless central part of the state. The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an Evergreen tree one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. They are also admired as shade and ornamental trees in many cities and gardens.

Eucalyptus forests in California have been criticized because they compete with native plants and do not support native animals. Fire is also a problem. The 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm which destroyed almost 3,000 homes and killed 25 people was partly fueled by large numbers of eucalypts in the area close to the houses. The Oakland Firestorm of 1991 was a large urban fire that occurred on the hillsides of northern Oakland California and southeastern Berkeley on Sunday October ^[8]

In some parts of California eucalypt forests are being removed and native trees and plants restored. Individuals have also illegally destroyed some trees and are suspected of introducing insect pests from Australia which attack the trees. ^[9]

Brazil

In 1910 Eucalyptus was introduced to Brazil for timber substitution and the charcoal industry. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Charcoal' is the blackish residue consisting of impure Carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from Animal and Vegetation It has thrived very well in the local environmental conditions and today there are around 5 million hectares planted. The wood produced by the tree is highly appreciated by the charcoal and pulp and paper industries. The short rotation allows a larger wood production and supply wood for several other activities, helping to preserve the native forests from logging. When well managed the plantations are sustainable and the soil can sustain endless replantations . Eucalyptus plantations are also used as wind breaks. A windbreak or shelterbelt is a Plantation usually made up of one or more rows of Trees or Shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter

Ethiopia

This species was introduced to Ethiopia in either 1894 or 1895, either by Emperor Menelik II's French advisor Mondon-Vidailhet or the Englishman Captain O'Brian. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Emperor Menelik II GCB, GCMG, ( Ge'ez ምኒልክ baptized as Sahle Maryam ( August 17, 1844 &ndash December 12 Due to massive deforestation around his new capital city Addis Ababa caused by a growing appetite for fire wood, Emperor Menelik II endorsed its planting around that city; according to Richard R. Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority Amharic Firewood was the primary source of fuel until the 1800s when it was displaced by coal and later by oil Emperor Menelik II GCB, GCMG, ( Ge'ez ምኒልክ baptized as Sahle Maryam ( August 17, 1844 &ndash December 12 K. Pankhurst, "The great advantage of the eucalypts was that they were fast growing, required little attention and when cut down grew up again from the roots; it could be harvested every ten years. The tree proved successful from the onset". ^[10] Plantations of eucalypts spread from the capital to other growing urban centers such as Debre Marqos; Pankhurst reports that the most common species found in Addis Ababa in the mid-1960s was E. globulus, although he also found E. melliodora and E. Debre Marqos (also called Mankorar) is a city and Woreda in east-central Ethiopia. The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an Evergreen tree one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. Eucalyptus melliodora, commonly known as Yellow Box, is a medium sized to occasionally tall eucalypt. rostrata in significant numbers. David Buxton, writing of central Ethiopia in the mid-1940s, observed that eucalyptus trees "have become an integral -- and a pleasing -- element in the Shoan landscape and has largely displaced the slow-growing native 'cedar' or juniper. Shewa ( Ge'ez ሽዋ šawā, modern šewā also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia "^[11]

Popular opposition soon developed that in 1913 a proclamation was issued ordering a partial destruction of all standing trees, and their replacement with mulberry trees. "The proclamation," Pankhurst notes, "however remained a dead letter; there is no evidence of eucalypts being uprooted, still less of mulberry trees being planted. "^[12] The eucalypt remains a defining feature of Addis Ababa.

Madagascar

Much of Madagascar's original native forest has been replaced with Eucalyptus, threatening biodiversity by isolating remaining natural areas such as Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a 155 square kilometre Protected area consisting principally of primary growth forest in Toamasina Province in eastern

Uruguay

Antonio Lussich introduced this species in 1896 approximately, all over on what now is Maldonado Department, and it extended all over the South-eastern and eastern coast, with no further problems or harm to the local trees, since all that area was a dry land of sand dunes and stones, because of this before they were introduced there were no trees at all. Antonio Dionisio Lussich ( Montevideo, March 23 1848 &ndash Punta del Este, June 5 1928) was an Uruguayan Geography and climate Neighbouring departments are Rocha to the East Lavalleja to the North and Northwest and Canelones to the West (He also introduced various species of Acacia and Pines, and many other although they have not expanded so massively. Acacia is a Genus of Shrubs and Trees belonging to the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. )

Photo gallery

Eucalyptus forest in East Gippsland, Victoria. Shire of East Gippsland is a Local Government Area in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Mostly Eucalyptus albens (white box).	Eucalyptus forest in East Gippsland, Victoria. Shire of East Gippsland is a Local Government Area in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Mostly Eucalyptus albens (white box).	Eucalyptus forest in East Gippsland, Victoria. Shire of East Gippsland is a Local Government Area in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Mostly Eucalyptus albens (white box).	A eucalyptus tree with the sun shining through its branches.
Eucalyptus bridgesiana (Apple box) on Red Hill, Australian Capital Territory. Red Hill ( postcode: 2603 is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.	Eucalyptus gunnii planted in southern England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The lower part of the trunk is covered in ivy. Hedera (English name ivy, plural ivies) is a genus of 15 species of climbing or ground-creeping Evergreen woody plants in the family	Eucalyptus cinerea x pulverulenta - National Botanical Gardens Canberra	Eucalyptus Pink Waxy Scale Insects
Eucalyptus grandis. Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.	Eucalyptus plantation in Galicia in Northwest Spain	A Snow Gum, in winter in the Australian Alps	Eucalyptus rubida (Candlebark gum) in Burra, New South Wales. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Candlebark Gum ( Eucalyptus rubida) is a meduim sized Tree of the genus Eucalyptus. Burra is an Australian district and Parish of rural smallholdings lying 20 kilometers to the south of Queanbeyan New South Wales in Palerang Council
This tree in Heathcote National Park has a serious problem. Heathcote is a national park in New South Wales ( Australia) 34 km southwest of Sydney.	Eucalyptus trees South Coast New South Wales

Notes

References

• Brooker, M. I. H. ; Kleinig, D. A. (2006). Field Guide to Eucalyptus. Melbourne: Bloomings.   Third edition. ISBN 1876473525 vol. 1. South-eastern Australia.
• Pankhurst, Richard (1968). Economic History of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University.  

External links

• EUCLID Sample, CSIRO
• The Eucalyptus Page
• EucaLink
• Currency Creek Arboretum - Eucalypt Research
• Eucalyptus Online Book & Newsletter Foelkel, Celso (2005-current)
• Eucalyptus globulus Diagnostic photos: tree, leaves, bark
• Handbook of Energy Crops Duke, James A. 1983.
• The Eucalyptus of California: Seeds of Good or Seeds of Evil? Santos, Robert. 1997 Denair, CA : Alley-Cass Publications
• Impacts of Monoculture: The Case of Eucalyptus Plantations in Thailand a paper for the Monocultures: Environmental and Social Effects and Sustainable Alternatives Conference, June 2-6 1996, Songkhla, Thailand, prepared by Areerat Kittisiri, Rural Reconstruction and Friends Association (RRAFA), Bangkok, Thailand
• EUCALYPTOLOGICS: Information Resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the World Iglesias Trabado, Gustavo (2007-current)
• American Botanical Council Web site Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus essential oil information from The American Botanical Council

Medicinal resources, eucalyptus essential oil

• http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/e/eucaly14.html
• http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/bpc1911/eucalyptus_oleu.html

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