Eucalyptus salmonophloia

Eucalyptus salmonophloia, known as wurak or Salmon Gum is an evergreen tree native to arid regions of Western Australia. The species was first formally described by the botanist Ferdinand Mueller in 1878 in the journal Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from samples collected by E. Giles from near Victoria Springs. Aside from Wurak, other names for the species include Wuruk or Woonert. The Noongar peoples know the tree as Wurak or Weerluk. Eucalyptus salmonophloia is able to grow to a height of 30 metres (98 ft) with smooth salmon-coloured bark in the summer months that changes to a white-grey or grey-brown colour in the winter months. The adult leaves are disjunct, long, lanceolate and basally tapered with a glossy grey-green colour and contain fragrant oils. Eucalyptus salmonophloia flowers in spring between August to December with white to cream blossoms. It produces simple axillary conflorescences with seven to more than eleven flowered umbellasters and terete or angular peduncles. Buds then form that are ovoid or globose with calyptrate calyx which sheds early. Seed capsules usually remain in place until the following summer or longer, each capsule contains about 600 viable seeds per gram. The tree exhibits an erect form with branches that spread outward and upward forming an umbrella-shaped crown.This species of Eucalypt is known to have a life span of over 150 years. The roots of the Salmon Gum are shallow and wide spreading; that can affect production of crops that grow nearby as they compete for moisture and nutrients. The density of green wood is about 1160 kg/m3 with an air-dried density about 1040 kg/m3. E. salmonophloia looks much like Eucalyptus salicola, both having a similar habit salmon bark and similar form. However, E. salmonophloia is differentiated by its ovate to lanceolate shaped juvenile leaves and globoid buds. E.salicola is also able to tolerate a saline habitat.