Angophora inopina

A smaller tree, or mallee, reaching 8 metres.

It has a very restricted range, confined primarily to the Lake Macquarie area of coastal NSW, between Wyong and Newcastle. There are two disjunct populations further north at Karuah and Bulahdelah. This species is a listed threatened species at State and Commonwealth level.

It is typically found on sandy deposits over sandstone in open shrubby coastal woodlands.

The bark is fibrous and continuous, grey to brown.

The juvenile foliage / coppicing growth is usually ovate-lanceolate to 7 cm long and to 3 cm wide, mid to dark green in colour; arranged oppositely.

Angophora spp. have adult leaves that remain opposite to sub-opposite. In this species, leaves are lanceolate to falcate, to 12 cm long and up to 3 cm wide with a petiole to 1.5 cm; green to dark-green in colour and sometimes glossy. The leaves are not overly odorous. The undersides of the leaves are much paler, with a distinctive fine reticulate venation which aids identification.

The primary inflorescence of “eucalypts” (Angophora / Corymbia / Eucalyptus) is an umbellaster (an umbel-like cluster of flowers). In Angophora, the flower still retains its small and free petals and sepals. They are not fused into a calyptra / operculum which is shed, as in Eucalyptus and Corymbia.
Flower buds are produced in umbellasters of 3 to 7, ovoid to globose to about 8 mm long and to 8 mm wide. The petals are very short – about 3 mm long. The buds are usually green in colour. Flowering can be observed in December to February and individual flowers are up to 1 to 2 cm across, bright cream to white. Like Corymbia spp., Angophora spp. have flowers positioned beyond the foliage at the terminals. The umbellasters are often arranged in compound groups.

The capsules are ovoid to globose with conspicuous ribs and teeth, smaller than those of A. hispida or A. costata, to 13 mm long by 15 mm wide with a flat disc.