Eucalyptus latens

Eucalyptus latens, commonly known as narrow-leaved red mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth grey and coppery bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven to eleven or more, creamy white flowers and small barrel-shaped to shortened spherical fruit.

Description
Eucalyptus latens is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 2-5 m and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth, grey to coppery bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have narrow elliptic to oblong leaves that are 20-70 mm long and 5-10 mm wide. Adult leaves are the same glossy green on both sides, linear to narrow lance-shaped, 40-95 mm long and 5-8 mm wide on a petiole 3-10 mm long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven, nine or eleven on an unbranched peduncle 4-10 mm long, the individual buds on pedicels 2-3 mm long. Mature buds are oval to spindle-shaped, 5-7 mm long and 2-3 mm wide with a conical operculum 3-4 mm long. Flowering occurs between January and March and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody, barrel-shaped to shortened spherical capsule 4-5 mm long and 3-4 mm wide with the valves about level with the rim.

Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus latens was first formally described in 1998 by Ian Brooker from a specimen he collected near North Bannister and the description was published in the journal Nuytsia The specific epithet (latens) is a Latin word meaning "hidden" or "secret", in reference to the type population being "hidden" in the jarrah forest.

Distribution and habitat
Narrow-leaved red mallee is found in woodland near North Bannister, Highbury, Kulin and near Boyagin Rock in the southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, growing in sandy-clay soils over laterite.

Conservation status
This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.