Eucalyptus terebra

Eucalyptus terebra, commonly known as Balladonia gimlet, is a species of gimlet that is endemic to Western Australia. It has satiny or glossy bark on its fluted trunk, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, yellowish flowers and conical to hemispherical fruit. It is one of the seven species of gimlet.

Description
Eucalyptus terebra is a mallet that typically grows to a height of  but does not form a lignotuber. It has smooth satiny or glossy, dark grey to orange, green-brown bark on its fluted trunk. The adult leaves are glossy green, linear to lance-shaped,  long and  wide, tapering to a petiole  long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle  long, the individual buds sessile or on pedicels up to  long. Mature buds are oval to spherical,  long and  wide with a rounded operculum with a pointed tip. Flowering occurs in November and the flowers are lemon yellow. The fruit is a sessile, woody conical to hemispherical capsule  long and  wide with the four valves protruding above the rim. The seeds are oval, pale to light brown and  long.

Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus terebra was first formmaly described in 1991 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill in the journal Telopea from specimens they collected near Balladonia in 1983. The specific epithet (terebra) is a Latin word for the woodworking tool called a gimlet.

Distribution and habitat
Balladonia gimlet grows in flat areas in the southern part of the Goldfields-Esperance region in calcerous loam or sandy soils. It is found between Balladonia and Norseman in the Coolgardie, Nullarbor and Mallee biogeographic regions.

Conservation status
This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

See also
List of Eucalyptus species

References

terebra
Category:Endemic flora of Western Australia
Category:Myrtales of Australia
Category:Rosids of Western Australia
Category:Plants described in 1991