Eucalyptus grandis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden

Protologue: Cat. timbers Queensland (London exhib.): 25 (1862).

Vernacular names

• Flooded gum, rose gum (En).

Distribution

Native to coastal areas in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia. Plantations exist in Peninsular Malaysia. It is an important plantation tree in the tropics and subtropics.

Uses

The wood is used especially for boat building, flooring, plywood, panelling and general construction.

Observations

• A medium-sized to very large tree of up to 55 m tall, bole straight, up to 30 m long and up to 200 cm in diameter, bark smooth, roughly flaky at the base, white, grey-white or blue-grey.
• Juvenile leaves alternate, ovate, adult leaves alternate, lanceolate, 10-16 cm × 2-3 cm, petiole 15-20 mm long.
• Inflorescence solitary, umbels 7-11-flowered.
• Flower buds ovoid to broadly fusiform, apiculate, operculum conical or slightly rostrate.
• Fruit somewhat pear-shaped, 5-8 mm × 4-7 mm, with 4-5 exserted, incurved valves.

E. grandis grows under moist, subtropical conditions at low altitudes, and performs best on deep, well-drained, fertile loam or clay-loam soils, in natural conditions often on slopes and in valleys, in tall open forest and rain forest edges. E. grandis is closely related to E. saligna from which it is distinguished most easily by the shape of the fruiting valves.

Selected sources

63a, 85, 232, 322a, 343, 359, 540.

Main genus page

• Eucalyptus

Authors

• C.C.H. Jongkind (selection of species)