Scientific Name : Eucalyptus exserta F. Muell.
Common Name : Queensland peppermint
Chinese Name : 窿緣桉
Family : MYRTACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | Native to Australia. Widely cultivated in Southern China, including Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. |
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| Meanings of name | The specific epithet exserta describes its fruits with strongly exerted valves. The common name Queensland peppermint refers to the type specimen from Queensland and leaves smelling like mint when crushed. |
| Vitality | The range of Queensland peppermint habitat ranges from sub-humid to tropical climates. It shows exceptionally tolerance to drought, but prefers well-drained soils. |
| Application |
The timber is rough, hard and durable, and is always processed into house framing, fencing and furniture. The profusely oily leaves are the primary ingredient of Chinese folk medicine to treat skin eczema and scabies. The leaf extracts are antagonistic to Tribolium castaneum (Red flour beetle), a rampant pest which is always found in stored food products. Eucalyptus is a fast-growing species with high tolerance to strong winds and droughts. It can also adapt to sub-humid to tropical climates, making it the dominant species in Australia. Based on these reasons, eucalyptus are always regarded as superior windbreak and pioneer trees used for windbreaks and woodland restoration to reduce property losses. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
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| Height | To 18 m. |
| Stem | Bark greyish brown, rough, hard, fissured, persistent. Young branchlets always pendulous. |
| Leaves | Juvenile leaves opposite, petiole short. Adult leaves alternate, petiole slender, blade narrowly lanceolate, slightly glossy or dull, concolourous. |
| Flower | Axillary, flower buds 3-8 per umbel. Flower buds ovoid, calyptra long conic, apex acuminate, yellow or cream, hypanthium semiglobose. Stamens white, stand upright, many. |
| Fruit | Capsules subglobose, floral disc raised, valves 4, strongly exserted. |
| Flowering period | May to September in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | July to November in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=6327
Scientific names from other databases :
― Flora of China : Eucalyptus exserta F. Mueller
― Plants of the World Online : Eucalyptus exserta F. Muell.