Eucalyptus sicilifolia
Eucalyptus sicilifolia is a species of small ironbark tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has dark ironbark on the trunk and branches, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.
Description
Eucalyptus sicilifolia is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, dark grey to black ironbark on the trunk and branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have stems that are square in cross-section and lance-shaped leaves that are long and wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of glossy green on both sides, narrow lance-shaped to curved, long and wide, with the base tapering to a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged on the ends of the branchlets and in leaf axils on a peduncle long, the individual buds on pedicels long. Mature buds are oval, long and wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from July to October and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped to barrel-shaped capsule long and wide with the valved near rim level.
Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus sicilifolia was first formally described in 1991 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill in the journal Telopea, from specimens collected on Little St Peter Hill, near Springsure. The specific epithet is from the Latin sicilis meaning a "sickle" and folium meaning a "leaf", referring to the curved leaves.
Distribution and habitat
This eucalypt has a restricted distribution near the type location where it grows in low woodland in rocky places.
Conservation status
This eucalyptus is classified as "vulnerable" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.