Inland River Red Gum

Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum)Inland River Red Gum

The Inland River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. arida), also known as the Centralian River Red Gum, belongs to the iconic species of River Red Gum found growing across Australia.

Although the distribution of this subspecies is highly fragmented, the Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. arida is the most widespread of all the subspecies of the River Red Gum, occurs along intermittently and irregularly flowing streams in arid regions of Australia, found in all mainland states except Victoria.

Pictured here is one growing in the dry Todd River, south of Heavitree Gap in Alice Spring, Northern Territory.

The word arida comes from the Latin aridus, meaning dry or arid, in reference to the habitat that they are found.

As a tree the Inland River Red Gum can grow up to 30 metres tall, although they are usually much smaller. The subspecies can have lignotuber present (a woody tuber that developed in the axils of the cotyledons or the first few leaf pairs, then becoming massive in many mature trees, possessing embedded vegetative buds for regeneration following the destruction of the crown, as may be the case in a fire). However the intensive heat of a buffel fire, can kill the tree, especially small trees.

The bark of the tree is smooth, can be powdery, white or silvery grey, and can be mottled with green, pink or brown patches.

The arrangements of the white to cream flowers on the inflorescence are off peduncles (single stems) in clusters, with the arrangement of flowers buds of 7, 9, 11 or 13. The mature buds are green to yellow, and are ovoid (egg-shaped) to globular. The scar that is on the mature bud (operculum), enables the opercula (bud caps) to break away, allowing for the flowers to emerge.

Flowering occurs between November to January. These photos of the flowering Inland River Red Gum were taken in November.

Between spring and early summer, white, sugary lerps will appear on the leaves of River Red Gums. These lerps are made by the tiny, orange nymphs of an insect called a psyllid Glycaspis blakei species. The nymph sucks sugar from the leaf. It consumes some of the sugar and uses the rest to make a white shelter to hide under, known as lerps (protective covers made by nymphs).

These sweet treat “bush lollies” covering the leaves of local eucalypts in Central Australia, are the edible Eucalyptus Lerps (known as bug houses) that are built by Glycaspis psyllids. The Arrernte name for these is peraltye.

Common name
Inland River Red Gum, Centralian Red Gum, Red Gum, River Gum.

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Charophyta
• Class: Equisetopsida
• Subclass: Magnoliidae
• Superorder: Rosanae
• Order: Myrtales
• Family: Myrtaceae
• Genus: Eucalyptus
• Species: Eucalyptus camaldulensis
• Subspecies: Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. arida

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Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum)Inland River Red Gum

EucalyptusEucalyptus Index Corymbia aparrerinja (Ghost Gum) Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum) Inland River Red Gum Eucalyptus erythrocorys (Red-capped Gum) Eucalyptus gamophylla (Blue Mallee) Eucalyptus infera (Durikai Mallee) Eucalyptus orbifolia (Round Leaf Mallee) Eucalyptus pachyphylla (Red-bud Mallee) Eucalyptus platypus (Coastal Moort) Insects on the Moort Eucalyptus woodwardii (Lemon-flowered Gum)

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