Prior names
Eucalyptus oleosa var. glauca, partly
Eucalyptus socialis ssp. Glossy green (P.J.Lang 804)
Eucalyptus transcontinentalis, partly
Eucalyptus socialis ssp. "glossy leaves"
Eucalyptus socialis, partly
Common names
Green-leaf Red Mallee
Beaked Red Mallee
Summer Red Mallee
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. Socialis from the Latin 'socialis ' meaning friendly; alluding to the species being associated with other eucalyptus species. Viridans from the Latin 'viridis' meaning green, referring to the green colour of the leaves compared with the other subspecies.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found on Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and the southern Murray mallee, growing in mallee vegetation on calcareous shallow grey sands to loam over limestone. Native. Common in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Multi-trunked mallee to 8 m high with rough, flaky-fibrous, grey to brown bark on lower stems and smooth, tan to pinkish-grey to cream bark above. Young branchlets not waxy. Juvenile leaves ovate to lanceolate, not waxy; dull to slightly glossy, green to slightly blue-green. Adult leaves to 132 mm long and 28 mm wide, narrow-lanceolate to lanceolate, glossy green. Flowers in groups of 7-11 in leaf axils. Buds to 18 mm long and 56 mm wide, not waxy, bud-cap horn-shaped, equal in width and longer than the base. Flower cream white to creamy-yellow. This subspecies is distinguished from the other three subspecies that occurs in South Australia by its distribution, green juvenile leaves, glossy green adult leaves and non-waxy features. Fruits are round to barrel-shaped to urn-shaped fruit to 18 mm long and 6 mm wide, not waxy, disc descending, valves 3-5 below the rim. Seeds are brown ovoid seed to 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, with finely reticulated surface. 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. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 100%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 1,200 (1.47 g) 1,200 (1.47 g) | 20+ | 30-Aug-2014 | DJD2989 Eyre Peninsula | 24-Mar-2015 | 100% | -18°C |
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.