Bell-Fruit Mallee (Eucalyptus preissiana)
Description
Preissia is a genus of liverworts in the order Marchantiales. It is a member of family Marchantiaceae within that order. This genus has a worldwide distribution. It is a mallee eucalyptus with smooth, grey bark that usually grows to between 2 and 3 m (6 ft 7 in and 9 ft 10 in) in height and has a sprawling habit. It often has several thin trunks emerging from a lignotuber. The leaves are large, ovate, thick and blunt-tipped. The flowers buds have rounded reddish-coloured caps and thick peduncles. These open to reveal yellow flowers between August and November (late winter to late spring) in the species native range. The fruits are large and bell-shaped. It can be cultivated in temperate areas of Australia but performs poorly in tropical environments. It is propagated from seeds and germinates easily. It prefers a position in full sun and in well-drained soils. The mallee is found in coastal and sub-coastal areas among limestone and laterite and grows in gravelly sandy-clay soils. The species is found along the south coast in the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions as far west as Cranbrook, Jerramungup to the north and Esperance to the east.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Myrtales
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Family: Myrtaceae
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Genus: Eucalyptus
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