ယူကလစ်

Myanmar Name – Eucalypt

Common Name – River Red Gum

Botanical Name – Eucalptus camaldulensis Denhnh.

Family Name – Myrtaceae

Habitat – Widely distributed across various regions of Australia. It is commonly found near water bodies, such as rivers, creeks, and wetlands.

Habit – Evergreen tree, tall that can reach heights of 20 to 45 meters and the trunk is often characterized by a distinctive shape with a spreading canopy of blue-green foliage and the DBH can range from around 1 meter (approximately 3 feet) to over 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) or more when mature.

Bark – Typically sheds in long, ribbon-like strips, revealing smooth, pale to reddish-brown bark underneath. The peeling bark helps in regulating the tree’s temperature and conserving moisture.

Leaves – Lance-shaped, alternate, and glossy green in color, often narrow, around 6 to 15 cm in length and 1 to 3 cm in width  and contain aromatic oils, which deter herbivores and give the tree its characteristic scent.

Inflorescence – Produces its flowers in clusters.These clusters are often found in the axils of the leaves, where the leaf joins the stem. The inflorescences are made up of multiple small flowers.

Flower – Flowers bisexual, 1-1.5 cm across, axillary in umbels, to 7 flowered; peduncle to 2 cm long, pedicel 5-10 mm long, buds 10 x 5 cm, shortly pedicellate, hypanthium hemispherical, operculum conical or rostrate; stamens many, free, 0.5-1 cm; anthers obovoid, 0.5-1 mm, typically white, sometimes with a slightly pink or cream hue

Fruit– A woody capsule known as a “gumnut.” These capsules contain many small seeds. As the gumnuts mature, they often turn from green to brown. The capsules open to release the seeds when they are ready to disperse.

Seed – Small and numerous, typically found within the mature capsules,it has  0.5 x 1 cm, globose or hemispherical, sessile, valves exserted; seeds many.

Flowering and Fruiting Time – Floweing time from November to February and Fruiting time From February to May.

Usage – The bark is used for furniture and tanning. In traditional medicine, it is used to treat lung and throat diseases.