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Species profile—Eucalyptus virens (shiny-leaved ironbark)

Classification

Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → MyrtaceaeEucalyptus virens (shiny-leaved ironbark)

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Species details

Kingdom
Plantae (plants)
Class
Equisetopsida (land plants)
Family
Myrtaceae
Scientific name
Eucalyptus virens Brooker & A.R.Bean
Common name
shiny-leaved ironbark
WildNet taxon ID
9558
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
Vulnerable
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status
Vulnerable
Conservation significant
Yes
Confidential
No
Endemicity
Native
Pest status
Nil
Short Notes
BRI 445374
Description
Eucalyptus virens is a small to medium tree growing to 25 m in height. The trunk and larger branches are covered with soft and flaky, grey ironbark. The bark on the smaller branches is soft and corky. The cotyledons are reniform. The seedling leaves are produced for about 3 to 4 nodes, shortly petiolate, remaining decussate, linear to narrow-lanceolate, green and growing to 8cm long and 1cm wide. The glossy juvenile leaves have short petioles (to 0.6 cm long), alternating, linear or falcate, green and growing to 10.5 cm long and 0.8 cm wide. The bright, glossy green adult leaves have petioles to 1.6 cm long, alternating, narrow-lanceolate or falcate and growing to 11.5 cm long and 1.9 cm wide. The venation of the adult leaves is dense and fine; oil glands are small and sparse, appearing discrete or at the intersection of the veinlets.
The inflorescences are axillary and simple, or terminal and compound. The peduncles are slender, growing to 1.4 cm long and bearing 7 white flowers. Buds are pedicellate, fusiform to rhomboidal, growing 0.5 cm long and 0.4 cm wide. The outer operculum is shed early leaving a permanent ring scar on the buds. The inner operculum is conical when young, and hemispherical when mature. The fruit is pedicellate, obconical to hemispherical, growing to 0.5 by 0.5 cm. There is a thin rim on the fruits, the disc is descending, and there are 4 to 6 enclosed or slightly exserted valves. The seeds are light brown, 1 by 0.5 to 1 mm, with a very fine, shallow reticulum. The hilum is ventral (Brooker and Bean, 1987).
Eucalyptus virens is most similar to E. panda. E. virens differs in stature (E. panda grows 10 to 18m tall), juvenile and adult leaves (E. panda has grey-green juvenile and grey-green, dull adult leaves), and flowering time (E. virens flowers in Summer and E. panda in Winter).
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Distribution
Eucalyptus virens has a very limited distribution in southern Queensland and is currently known from 5 locations scattered over a distance of approximately 500 km. Locations include near Inglewood, Tara, north-east of Eidsvold and the scarp on approach to the Maranoa River near Mt Moffatt, 10 km East South East of Brovinia, north of Binjour and North West of Injune (Brooker and Kleinig 1994; Halford, 1997; Queensland Herbarium, 2012). The species occurs in Allies Creek State Forest and Nour Nour National Park (Halford, 1997; Queensland Herbarium, 2012).
Distributional limits
-25.1734355, 147.9094631
-28.490082, 151.4247223
Range derivation
Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records
Habitat
Eucalyptus virens occurs on sandy soils on low rises, hillslopes, sandstone escarpments and scree slopes. The species grows in woodland communities and is commonly associated with Angophora leiocarpa, Corymbia trachyphloia, Eucalyptus exserta, Allocasuarina inophloia and Lysicarpus angustifolius. Other species occasionally recorded with E. virens include E. panda, E. apothalassica, E. sideroxylon, Allocasuarina luehmannii and Callitris glaucophylla (Halford, 1997; Queensland Herbarium, 2012).
Reproduction
Flowering in Eucalyptus virens has been recorded November - February. (Brooker and Kleinig, 1994)
Threatening processes
Possible threatening processes include; loss of habitat due to vegetation clearing, timber harvesting of the species and habitat disturbance by timber harvesting (Halford, 1997). Fire, weeds and cattle grazing are threatening processes to some populations (Sparshott, 2009).
Status notes
Eucalyptus virens is listed as Vulnerable under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992.
Management documents
Halford, D (1997). Eucalyptus virens Species Management Profile, Department of Natural Resources, Queensland.
Management recommendations
Management objectives for Eucalyptus virens include protection of the species and its habitat. Specific actions include the establishment of a protective buffer (0.3 ha) that excludes timber harvesting with all E. virens at least 30 m inside the protective buffer (Halford, 1997).
References
Brooker, M.I.H. & Bean, A.R. (1987). Eucalyptus virens, a New Species of Ironbark from Queensland. Brunonia 9 (2): 223.
Brooker, M.I.H. & Kleinig, D.A. (1994). Field Guide to Eucalypts. Volume 3, Northern Australia.
Halford, D. (1997). Eucalyptus virens Species Management Profile, Department of Natural Resources, Brisbane.
Queensland Herbarium (2011). Specimen label information. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 13/01/2012.
Sparshott, K. (2009). Expedition National Park Vegetation Report (Draft), Department of Environment and Resource Management.
Profile author
Lynise Wearne (12/01/2012)

Other resources

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=9558.

This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

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Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Last updated
20 May 2024