Botanical art
Prior names
Eucalyptus paniculata var. fasciculosa
Common names
Pink Gum
Hill Gum
Etymology
Eucalyptus from the Greek 'eu' meaning well and 'calyptos' meaning covered; alluding to the cap or lid which covers the stamens in the bud. Fasciculosa from the Latin 'fasciculus' meaning fascicle; referring to inflorescence structure which is clustered or grouped together in bundles.
Distribution and status
Mainly found in South Australia, on Kangaroo Island, southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the South-east, growing on well-drained sandy soils of low fertility. Also found in Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Single or multi-stem tree to 10 m tall with smooth light grey to pinkish-grey bark or loose and rough near the base. Juvenile leaves opposite for few pairs then alternate, ovate, to 12 cm long and 6 cm wide, green. Adult leaves alternate, broadly lanceolate to lanceolate, to 15 cm long and 2 cm wide, dull to slightly glossy green to blue-green. Inflorescences terminal panicles with white flowers. Bubs to 7 mm long and 4 mm wide, bud-cap cone-shaped, shorter than the base. Flowering between May and December. Fruits are woody cone-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit to 9 mm long and 6 mm wide, disc ascending, valves 3 or 4 below the rim. Seed embryo type is folded.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and December. Collect mature fruits that are dark and hard (difficult to break with a finger nail), with the valves un-open any time of year. Leave the fruits in a breathable container in a dry room for one to two weeks. This allows the valves on the fruit to open and release the seeds. Separate the seeds by placing all the materials into a bucket and shaking it to dislodge the seeds. Pass the material through a sieve to separate the unwanted material. The finer material will contain both seeds (soft) and frass (hard) usually distinguishable from each other but can be very similar in shape and colour. With finer sieves, the seeds can be separated from the frass but this is not essential for storage or propagation. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSB | 3,800 (14.67 g) | 40-50 | 20-Oct-2005 | MKJ89 Southern Lofty |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.