About Eucalyptus preissiana Schauer
Eucalyptus preissiana, commonly known as bell-fruited mallee, is a mallee that typically grows 3–5 metres (9.8–16.4 feet) tall, has a sprawling growth habit, and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth, greyish-brown bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have stems that are square in cross-section, and greyish green, elliptical to egg-shaped leaves. These juvenile leaves are 50–93 millimetres (2.0–3.7 inches) long, 30–62 millimetres (1.2–2.4 inches) wide, and arranged in opposite pairs. Adult leaves are sometimes arranged alternately, are the same dull greyish green shade on both sides, and range from elliptical to egg-shaped or oblong. They are 65–130 millimetres (2.6–5.1 inches) long, 25–50 millimetres (0.98–1.97 inches) wide, and grow from a 10–40 millimetre (0.39–1.57 inch) long petiole. Flower buds are arranged in leaf axils on a flattened, unbranched peduncle 8–25 millimetres (0.31–0.98 inches) long, with individual buds attached to 2–5 millimetre (0.079–0.197 inch) long pedicels. Mature buds are oval, 15–26 millimetres (0.59–1.02 inches) long and 13–18 millimetres (0.51–0.71 inches) wide, with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from September to November, and the flowers are yellow. The fruit is a woody capsule that can be cup-shaped, conical, or bell-shaped, 15–27 millimetres (0.59–1.06 inches) long and 20–38 millimetres (0.79–1.50 inches) wide, with lobes between the valves. This species is found in coastal and sub-coastal areas among limestone and laterite, growing in gravelly sandy-clay soils. It occurs in coastal and near-coastal areas from the Stirling Range to Fitzgerald River National Park, extending almost to Esperance in the east. The subspecies Eucalyptus preissiana subsp. lobata occurs only in a few coastal locations between Esperance and Hopetoun. In horticulture, bell-fruited mallee can be cultivated in temperate regions of Australia, but grows poorly in tropical environments. It is propagated from seed and germinates easily, and prefers a position in full sun with well-drained soil.
