''Eucalyptus capitellata'', commonly known as brown stringybark, is a species of tree that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. It is a small to medium-sized tree with rough, stringy bark from the trunk to the thinnest branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, spindle-shaped or oblong flower buds in groups of seven or more, white flowers and clusters of flattened hemispherical fruit. Eucalyptus capitellata buds

Description

''Eucalyptus capitellata'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. The bark is rough, stringy, grey to brownish and extends from the trunk to the smaller branches. The leaves on young plants and on coppice regrowth are arranged in opposite pairs near the ends of the stems, egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, long and wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same glossy green on both sides, lance-shaped to curved, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven, nine, eleven or more on an unbranched peduncle long and the individual buds are usually

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

. Mature buds are spindle-shaped to oval, long and wide with a conical operculum. Flowering mainly occurs between December and February and the flowers are white. The fruit are woody, flattened hemispherical capsules, long, wide and clustered together with the valves at the about the same level as the rim.

Taxonomy

''Eucalyptus capitellata'' was first formally described in 1795 by

James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to: * James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society * James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer * James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto * ...

in his book, '' A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland''. Smith noted that a drawing of the fruit of this species had previously been published on page 226 of the book by

First Fleet The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command ...

surgeon and naturalist John White, ''Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales'' but incorrectly ascribed to ''

Eucalyptus piperita ''Eucalyptus piperita'', commonly known as Sydney peppermint and urn-fruited peppermint, is a small to medium forest tree native to New South Wales, Australia. Description It has grey, rough and finely fibrous bark on its trunk, but its branche ...

''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''capitellata'') is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word meaning "with a little head", possibly referring to the clusters of fruit.

Distribution and habitat

Brown stringybark grows in open forest or woodland, usually in poor, sandy soil in coastal areas between

Karuah Karuah is a locality in both the Port Stephens and Mid-Coast Councils in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is thought that the name means 'native plum tree' in the local Aboriginal dialect. History In 1790, five convicts esca ...

and Nerriga in New South Wales.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5405563 capitellata Flora of New South Wales Myrtales of Australia Trees of Australia Plants described in 1795 Taxa named by James Edward Smith