Eucalyptus phoenix, commonly known as brumby mallee-gum, is a species of mallee (a small, multi-stemmed eucalypt) that is endemic to a restricted area in Victoria, Australia. It was formally described as a new species in 2013.
Description
Eucalyptus phoenix is a mallee that typically grows to a height of about 5 m (16 ft) and forms a lignotuber (a woody swelling at the base that allows regrowth after fire). It has smooth white to light grey bark that is shed in thin strips and plates.
- Young plants / coppice regrowth: Leaves are dull, light green to bluish, slightly paler on the underside, egg-shaped to more or less round, 50–80 mm long and 15–40 mm wide.
- Adult leaves: Glossy green on both sides, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, 80–100 mm long and 20–30 mm wide, on a petiole 10–17 mm long.
- Flower buds: Arranged in leaf axils in groups of 5 to 11 on a thin, unbranched peduncle 8–14 mm long. Mature buds are club-shaped, 6–8 mm long and 3–4 mm wide, with a conical operculum (cap).
- Flowers: White, appearing from late spring to early summer.
- Fruit: A woody, hemispherical capsule about 8 mm long and wide, with valves level with the rim.
Taxonomy and Naming
The species was first formally described in 2013 by Kevin Rule and Susan G. Forrester in the journal Muelleria, based on material collected near Brumby Point in East Gippsland, Victoria.
The specific epithet phoenix refers to the mythical Phoenix bird of Greek mythology. According to the authors, the name "commemorates the serendipitous discovery of a small amount of the seed of this rare new plant following the apparently all-consuming fire of 2013" — the species arose from the flames, much like the fabled Phoenix.
Distribution and Habitat
Brumby mallee is known from only a single population of fewer than 100 mature plants near Brumby Point in East Gippsland, Victoria. It grows on a spur in subalpine woodland at an elevation of approximately 1,360 m (4,460 ft).
Conservation Status
The species is listed as "endangered" in Victoria due to its extremely limited distribution and small population size.
Affinities
Eucalyptus phoenix appears to have its nearest affinity with Eucalyptus mackintii, sharing hispid (bristly) seedling leaves and stems, buds with a conical operculum, and similar fruit shape. It differs from E. mackintii in its mallee habit, smooth bark, occasionally paired peduncles, pedicellate buds, and fruit with a narrower, more or less level disc. It also shows more distant affinity with Eucalyptus macrorhyncha.
