Plants of
South Australia
Eucalyptus intertexta
Myrtaceae
Smooth-barked Coolibah,
Gum-barked Coolibah
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Hawker
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 5

Prior names

Eucalyptus intertexta var. diminuta

Eucalyptus intertexta var. fruticosa

Common names

Smooth-barked Coolibah

Gum-barked Coolibah

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. Intertexta from the Latin 'inter' meaning between and 'textus' meaning tissue; referring of the interlocking grain of the wood.

Distribution and status

Found in three disjunct areas in South Australia, the Flinders and Olary Ranges, north-eastern Eyre Peninsula and the far north-west, growing in creeklines, soaks and rocky hills and summit where there is extra moisture. Also found in all mainland states except for Victoria. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Single or multi=stemmed tree or mallee-like to 30 m high with rough bark on the lower trunk. Juvenile leaves ovate to linear, sometime pruinose, dull bluish. Adult leaves to 160 mm long and 25 mm wide, broad to narrow lanceolate, dull bluish. Inflorescences terminal spike with flowers in groups of 7. Buds to 8 mm long and 4 mm wide, sometime pruinose, bud-cap bluntly conical, shorter in length than the base. Flowers white appearing in autumn to spring. Fruits are woody cup-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit to 9 mm long and 8 mm wide, disc descending, valves 4 or 5 enclosed below the rim level. Seeds are brown angled seed to 0.8 mm long and 0.6 mm wide, shiny. 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.