Eucalyptus calyerup



Eucalyptus calyerup is a tree that is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the lower part of the trunk, smooth bark above, elliptic to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy-yellow flowers and conical to bell-shaped fruit.

Description
Eucalyptus calyerup is a tree that typically grows to a height of 10 m and rarely forms a lignotuber. It has smooth pale cream to pale pink bark above a dark grey stocking of rough bark on the lowest 70 cm of the trunk. Young plants have leaves that are bluish green, egg-shaped, 45-60 mm long and 30-40 mm wide. Adult leaves are egg-shaped to elliptic, sometimes lance-shaped, the same glossy green on both sides, 38-77 mm long and 15-40 mm wide on a petiole 5-15 mm long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils on a flattened peduncle 20-35 mm long, the individual flowers on a pedicel 2-4 mm long. Mature buds are 20-33 mm long, 6-8 mm wide with a horn-shaped operculum that is narrower than, but about twice as long as the floral cup. Flowering occurs between October and December and the flowers are creamy yellow. The fruit is a woody, conical to bell-shaped capsule 8-14 mm long and 8-12 mm wide on a pedicel 2-3 mm long.

Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus calyerup was first formally described in 2002 by Nathan K. McQuoid and Stephen Hopper from a specimen collected from near Calyerup Rocks, east of Jerramungup. The description was published in the journal Nuytsia. The specific epithet (calyerup) refers to the type location. The ending -ensis is a Latin suffix "denoting place, locality [or] country".

This species is possibly a stabilised hybrid between E. occidentalis and E. platypus, although the latter species does not occur in the same location.

Distribution and habitat
This eucalypt is found around rocky outcrops in the Great Southern region of Western Australia between Katanning and Jerramungup where it grows in sandy-loam soils over granite.

Conservation
This species is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.

Use in horticulture
Eucalyptus calyerup has been used extensively by the local Landcare group and has been shown to be resistant to lerp attack.