Menu
Eucalyptus macrandra, Long-flowered Marlock, is a mallee from 4 to 10 metres tall. Plants often produce multiple trunks that grow from a large lignotuber (swollen root mass).
The bark is smooth, light brown and is shed in long strips then ages to grey.
This species occurs naturally in Western Australia, growing in the south-west parts; west from Esperance to Albany and northwards from here to the Narrogin and Hyden regions.
It grows in mallee woodland and scrub on sandy soils and granite.
Eucalyptus spp. have simple and usually alternate adult leaves with juvenile leaves starting off opposite to alternate (disjunct). In this species, the juvenile leaves are glossy-green, elliptic to ovate, to 7 cm long and 3 cm wide. The adult leaves are thick, bright green, lanceolate and up to 10 cm long by 3 cm wide.
The primary inflorescence of “eucalypts” (Angophora / Corymbia / Eucalyptus) is an umbellaster (an umbel-like cluster of flowers). In the flowers of Corymbia and Eucalyptus, the petals and sepals are fused into the distinctive calyptra / operculum (bud cap) which is shed when the flower opens (in some species, 2 bud caps (opercula) are shed). The flowers are conspicuously staminate – where many stamens are basically taking over the role of the petals, all surrounding one central carpel. In this species, the flower buds are in clusters of up to 30. They are long, up to 4 centimetres long and narrow, 0.4 cm wide and horn-shaped. The flowers form large clusters, yellow to yellow-green and are both profuse and conspicuous. Flowering occurs from December to March. Honeyeaters are attracted to the flowers.
The fruit of eucalypts are a woody capsule (commonly called ‘gum nuts’) which come in a wide variety of shapes with the top part having a sunken, flat or raised disc and with the valves inserted, disc-level, exserted to strongly exserted. In this species, fruits are cup-shaped, to 1 cm long and wide, with 3 to 4 valves at rim-level.
Author’s notes:
Eucalyptus macrandra is a handsome small tree. Bark, buds and flowers are attractive features. It could be grown as a specimen plant or as a component of a tall hedge.
In our garden (near Armidale) specimens confine their growth to one trunk.
This species is cultivated successfully but needs a dry climate to do its best. May suffer in wet periods and from high humidity. Good drainage is essential as is a frost-free location.
Produces beautiful large lemon flowers, so well worth a try.
Propagate from seed.
This species can regenerate from the lignotuber after fire, as well as from any seed bank.
It is well-known that Eucalyptus is a large and diverse genus. Between 700 and 950 known species are reported, occurring as far north as The Philippines, as well as Indonesia, New Guinea, Timor and Australia. Only 16 species reportedly occur outside Australia. They occur in all Australian states. NSW currently has about 250 species. (See this website for some detailed information: https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/intro/learn.htm).
Eucalyptus – from Greek, eu, “well” or “true” and calyptus, referring to the calyptra (καλύπτρo) or operculum, which is a bud cap or covering which covers the developing flowers. The calyptra is a fusion of petals and/or sepals and is shed when the flower opens, leaving a flower with many stamens (staminate) surrounding one female part (carpel).
macrandra – from Greek macro (μακρο) meaning “large” and andras (άνδρας) meaning “man” – referrring to the long stamens (male parts) of the flowers.
This species is not considered to be at risk of extinction in the wild.
Florabase – the Western Australian Flora – Eucalyptus macrandra profile page https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/5704
Gardening with Angus – Eucalyptus macrandra profile page https://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/eucalyptus-macrandra-long-flowered-marlock/
EUCLID – Eucalypts of Australia – Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research – Eucalyptus macrandra profile page https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_macrandra.htm