Eucalyptus youngiana

Eucalyptus youngiana, commonly known as large-fruited mallee, Ooldea mallee and yarldarlba, is a species of mallee, less commonly a tree, that is native to arid and semi-arid areas of southern Western Australia and South Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on some or all of the trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, red, pink or bright yellow flowers and short, broad, conical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus youngiana is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 4 to 8 metres (13 to 26 ft), less commonly a tree to 10 m (33 ft), and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, flaky, dark grey-brown bark on part or all of the trunk and smooth, pinkish-grey to creamy bark above. Young plants and coppice regrowth have greyish green, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves that are 70–160 mm (2.8–6.3 in) long and 25–45 mm (0.98–1.77 in) wide. The adult leaves are the same shade of dull bluish green on both sides, lance-shaped, 85–170 mm (3.3–6.7 in) long and 15–37 mm (0.59–1.46 in) wide, tapering to a petiole 15–32 mm (0.59–1.26 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of three on an unbranched peduncle 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 45–60 mm (1.8–2.4 in) long and 30–45 mm (1.2–1.8 in) wide with a horn-shaped or beaked operculum 28–42 mm (1.1–1.7 in) long. Flowering occurs from June to October and the flowers are red, pink or bright yellow. The fruit is a woody, short, broad and hemispherical capsule, 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long and 33–60 mm (1.3–2.4 in) wide with coarse, longitudinal ridges.