Eucalyptus caesia, commonly known as caesia or gungurru,[1] is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth reddish brown bark at first, later shedding in curling flakes, lance-shaped, sometimes curved adult leaves, club-shaped flower buds covered with a waxy, bluish white bloom, pink stamens with yellow anthers and urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus caesia is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 2mto14mm (07feetto46feetm) and forms a lignotuber. The bark is smooth reddish brown at first and is shed in curling longitudinal flakes known as "minnirichi". Young branches are shiny red, covered with a waxy, bluish white bloom. Young plants and coppice regrowth have thick, glossy green, heart-shaped leaves NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide that have a petiole. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, mostly NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on a petiole NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of three on an unbranched peduncle NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, the individual flowers on pedicels NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. Mature flower buds are oval or pear-shaped, covered with a whitish waxy bloom, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide with a conical operculum. Flowering mainly occurs between May and September and the flowers have pink stamens with yellow anthers on the tip. The fruit is a woody bell-shaped or urn-shaped capsule NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide on a peduncle NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long.[2] [3] [4]
Eucalyptus caesia was first formally described in 1867 by George Bentham from a collection made by James Drummond in 1847 and the description was published in Flora Australiensis.[5] [6]
In 1982, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper described two subspecies, but the Australian Plant Census accepts these as synonyms:
The specific epithet (caesia) is a Latin word meaning "bluish grey"[9] referring to the waxy cover of the small branches, flower buds and fruit.
Caesia grows in crevices at the base of granite outcrops in scattered inland areas of the south-west, including in the Avon Wheatbelt and Mallee biogeographic regions. The species is known to be drought tolerant.[10]
Despite persisting as very small populations, this species does not seem to exhibit effects of inbreeding depression.[11] Associated species include Eucalyptus crucis, Eucalyptus loxophleba, Allocasuarina huegeliana and Acacia lasiocalyx.[12]
A form known as 'Silver Princess' is described as a "graceful weeping tree" that has an irregular and weeping form.[13]
Propagation is from seed, which germinates readily.[4]