166 MYRTACEAE 
clavate, 9-15 mm long incl. pedicel, 4-5 mm wide; 
operculum shallow, rounded. Capsules on pedicels 
2-5 mm long; hypanthium cylindrical, sometimes 
suburceolate, striate, 9-12 mm long, 6-9 mm wide. 
Seed saucer shaped. Flowering: July - Nov; fruiting: 
Aug - Nov. Fig. 51 Ghost Gum 
Under the name E. papuana there are a number of 
taxa ranging from New Guinea to central Australia. 
The description here is confined to a taxon which is 
distinguished by having typically long thin leaves with 
undulate margins. The preferred habitat is on stream 
levees, on the edges of swamps and billabongs and 
on the open grassy areas fringing the coastal 
floodplains. 
E. patellaris FMuell. 
Tree to 14 m; bark grey, rough throughout. Petioles 
7-15 mm long. Leaf blades concolorous, falcate, 
narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, 105-245 mm long, 
14-45 mm wide, L/B (3.2)5-16. Inflorescence a 
terminal panicle. Buds pedicellate, fusiform, 16-25 
mm long incl. pedicel, 6.5-9 mm wide; operculum 
conical or + hemispherical, equal to or slightly shorter 
than the hypanthium, the base broader than the 
hypanthium, abruptly tapering to the apex. Capsules 
on pedicels 2-14 mm long; hypanthium campanulate, 
obconic or almost cylindrical, 6-11 mm long, 7-12 
mm wide; valves exsert, rarely sunken; disc usually 
prominent and horizontal but variable. Flowering: 
Dec - Feb; fruiting: Mar - Sept. Fig. 51 
Distributed in disjunct populations from the 
Carnarvon area, WA, to Cape York. Not common in 
the DR; more common south of Pine Creek; on 
various soil types. 
E. phoenicea F.Muell. 
Tree to 12 m, often multistemmed; bark thick, 
yellowish and flaky on trunk and main branches, 
smooth above. Petioles 8-19 mm long. Leaf blades 
concolorous, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 
65-145 mm long, 10-35 mm wide, L/B 2.5-6. 
Inflorescence a series of many flowered umbels; 
peduncles 14-30 mm long. Buds pedicellate, 
clavate, smooth, 13-22 long incl. pedicel, 4.7-7.1 mm 
wide; operculum hemispherical to conical; stamens 
orange-red. Capsules on pedicels 3-12 mm long; 
hypanthium striate, finely mottled with a slight sheen, 
elongate-urceolate, 17-27 mm long, 7-12 mm wide; 
valves 2, deeply sunken. Flowering: May - Aug; 
fruiting: Aug - Nov. Fig. 51 Scarlet Gum 
Distributed from the Kimberley to Cape York. In 
the DR on granitic soils near Batchelor and on sand- 
stone near the Mary R. A desirable species for culti- 
Eucalyptus 
vation because of its attractive flowers, its relatively 
small stature and ability to thrive in shallow soils. 
E. polycarpa F.Muell. 
Tree to 17 m; bark grey, bloodwood type through- 
out. Petioles 8-20 mm long. Leaf blades slightly shiny, 
falcate, narrowly lanceolate, 75-170 mm long, 11-26 
mm wide, L/B 4.2-8.3. Inflorescence a terminal 
corymb. Buds on long pedicels, grey-scurfy, obconic, 
11-25 mm long incl. pedicel, 5-6.5 mm wide; 
operculum conical. Capsules on pedicels 4-9 mm 
long; hypanthium mottled, slightly scabrous, 
elongated urceolate, 14-30 mm long, 9-13 mm wide; 
valves sunken. Seed winged. Flowering: Mar - July; 
fruiting: June - Oct. Fig. 52 
Tree of moist habitats from the northern coast of 
WA to Cape York; common in the DR. 
E. porrecta S.T.Blake 
Tree to 8 m; bark dark grey, rough bloodwood type 
throughout. Intermediate leaves concolorous, broadly 
ovate, to 200 mm long and 160 mm wide. Petioles 
12-25 mm long. Leaf blades concolorous, broadly 
lanceolate or lanceolate, 110-230 mm long, 26-75 mm 
wide, L/B 2.1-6.7. Inflorescence a terminal corymb. 
Buds clavate, 22-28 mm long incl. pedicels, 
7-10.5 mm wide; operculum saucer shaped, rounded. 
Capsules on pedicels 3-17 mm long; hypanthium 
urceolate, 19-28 mm long, 16-26 mm wide. Seed 
winged. Flowering: Jan - Mar; fruiting: May - Aug. 
Fig. 52 
An NT endemic, confined to the Darwin-Alligator 
Rivers region. A species of the savanna where it 
occurs in the mid stratum. 
E. ptychocarpa F.Muell. 
Tree to 12 m, sometimes taller; bark dark grey 
to black, bloodwood type throughout, becoming 
shaggy. Juvenile leaves shiny, discolorous, often 
peltate, broadly lanceolate, to 420 mm long and 
250 mm wide. Petioles 17-38 mm long. Leaf 
blades discolorous, broadly lanceolate, rarely broadly 
ovate or narrowly lanceolate, 125-320 mm long, 
28-97 mm wide, L/B 1.8-7.2. Inflorescence a 
terminal corymb. Buds grey scurfy, faintly to strongly 
ribbed, rarely smooth, clavate, 34-60 mm long incl. 
pedicel, 13-18 mm wide; operculum conical to 
cupular; stamens pink, red or white. Capsules on 
pedicels 5-30 mm long; hypanthium faintly to strongly 
ribbed, rarely smooth, cylindrical, slightly urceolate, 
rarely ovoid, 26-45 mm long, 19-30 mm wide. Seed 
winged. Flowering: Feb - June; fruiting: June - Nov. 
Fig. 52 Swamp Bloodwood 
