Mallee to 4 m tall. Forming a lignotuber. Bark smooth throughout, rich coppery red and silvery brown to pale grey. Branchlets glaucous; oil glands present in the pith. Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm): stems rounded in cross-section, glaucous; juvenile leaves always petiolate, opposite at lowest node only then alternate, elliptical to lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 3–9 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm wide, slightly glaucous weathering to grey-green. Adult leaves alternate, petioles 0.7–2 cm long; blade lanceolate, 5–10 cm long, (0.6)0.9–1.5 cm wide, base tapering to petiole, margin entire, apex pointed, concolorous, initially slightly glaucous weathering to non-glaucous glossy green, surface appearing "glazed", side-veins acute or obscure, reticulation obscure, intramarginal vein present or obscure, oil glands numerous, island. Inflorescence pendulous, axillary unbranched, peduncles glaucous, slender, flattened, widening apically, 1.2–4 cm long, buds (?7)9, 11, 13, pedicellate (pedicels 0.5–1.1 cm long). Mature buds elongated and widest below the join, (2.4–3.2 cm long, 0.5–0.8 cm wide), glaucous at least basally, scar present (outer operculum shed early), operculum horn-shaped, ca 2.5–4 times the length of the hypanthium, stamens erect, anthers oblong, versatile, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, style long and straight, stigma blunt to slightly dilated, locules 4(5), the placentae each with 4 vertical rows of ovules. Flowers pale lemon-yellow. Fruit down-turned, pedicellate (pedicels 0.4–1.2 cm long), stoutly barrel-shaped to cupular, 0.8–1.4 cm long, 0.6–1 cm wide, disc obscured by persistent staminophore, valves 4(5), tips at about rim level. Seeds dark brown, 0.7–2 mm long, ovoid to flattened-ovoid, dorsal surface clearly and shallowly reticulate, hilum ventral. Cultivated seedlings (measured at node 10): cotyledons Y-shaped (bisected); stems rounded in cross-section, glaucous or non-glaucous; leaves always petiolate, opposite for 3 or 4 nodes then alternate, ovate to lanceolate, 6–8.5 cm long, 2–3.5 cm wide, dull, grey-green to green.
Home