About Eucalyptus porosa Miq.
Eucalyptus porosa Miq., commonly known as mallee box, is typically a mallee that reaches 5 m (16 ft) in height, or sometimes a tree growing between 12 and 14 m (39 to 46 ft) tall. This species forms a lignotuber, and has rough, fibrous or flaky greyish bark on its trunk and stems, with smooth whitish or grey bark on the upper parts. Young plants and coppice regrowth have egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves that measure 55–90 mm (2.2–3.5 in) long and 12–22 mm (0.47–0.87 in) wide. Adult leaves are glossy green and the same shade on both sides, shaped like a lance, and are 50–120 mm (2.0–4.7 in) long, 8–23 mm (0.31–0.91 in) wide, tapering to a 5–18 mm (0.20–0.71 in) long petiole. Flower buds are arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils, on an unbranched peduncle 2–12 mm (0.079–0.472 in) long, with individual buds attached to pedicels up to 7 mm (0.28 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide, with a conical to rounded or slightly beaked operculum. Flowering mainly occurs between October and March, and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody barrel-shaped or shortened spherical capsule that is 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide, with valves positioned near the rim level. This species is widely distributed across the semi-arid regions of South Australia, north-western Victoria, and south-western New South Wales. It grows in a variety of habitats, including rocky ridges, coastal limestone, mallee shrubland, and woodland.
