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Eucalyptus tereticornis ssp. tereticornis
A very handsome-looking eucalypt, and this one with a double (split) trunk. Also known as red irongum and Queensland blue gum, the species is native to eastern Australia and belongs to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The common names come from the beautiful rich red of the inner timber, and the blue hues of the outer trunk and branches. This is also an important "food" tree species for native animals - koalas eat the leaves, yellow-bellied gliders eat the sap, and the flowers attract birds like honeyeaters and lorikeets. Can grow to a height of 50 metres with a girth of up to 2 metres, although I reckon this one exceeded that. The photos don't give any sense of scale. The trunk is straight and is usually un-branched for more than half of the total height of the tree. Thereafter, limbs are unusually steeply inclined for a Eucalyptus species. The bark is shed in irregular sheets, resulting in a smooth trunk surface coloured in patches of white, grey and blue, corresponding to areas that shed their bark at different times.
Spotted at margin of native rainforest along the Reservoir Track in the Brisbane Forest Park. Deep alluvial soil close to the reservoir, in a small gully that channels rain water into a reservoir itself. Seen most often along creek terraces.
The epitome of indecisiveness - common names for this species: forest red gum, bastard box, blue gum, flooded gum, grey gum, mountain gum, Queensland blue gum, red gum, red ironbark, red irongum, and slaty gum. The second one baffles me, but it's hilarious :D
2 Comments
You reckon they stuffed up?
Ha ha.. love pic 3.. so glad they buried him upside down.