Red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia)
Description
Corymbia ficifolia, commonly known as the red flowering gum, Albany red flowering gum and the Albany redgum, is one of the most commonly planted ornamental trees in the broader eucalyptus family. The species was previously known as Eucalyptus ficifolia until re-classified in 1995. Corymbia ficifolia is a small to medium-sized tree which grows to a height of 10 metres (33 ft), often with a pronounced straggly habit. The bark of the tree is rough to the small bramches, fibrous and longitudinally furrowed, and of brown to grey-brown in colour. The adult leaves are flat or slightly undulating of ovate or broadly lanceolate shape, stalked with a dark green upper surface and lighter underneath, and 7 to 15 centimetres (2.8 to 5.9 in) long by 2 to 5 centimetres (0.79 to 1.97 in) wide. The leaves have a prominent mid-rib and fine, closely spaced side veins lying greater than 45° to the mid-rib. Leaves are usually positioned alternately (staggered) along the tree's branchlets. Inflorescence is located at the ends of the branchlets, and form characteristic corymbs of compound flower "heads", typically of 7 buds per umbel. Mature buds are obovoid to pear-shaped and 1.2 to 1.8 centimetres (0.47 to 0.71 in) long by 0.6 to 0.8 centimetres (0.24 to 0.31 in) wide. The flowers are brilliant in colour, ranging from pink to orange to bright red, and occasionally cream. The large amount of blossom produced can completely obscure the foliage in summer. The fruit (gum nuts) are large, woody and urn-shaped, 2 to 4.2 centimetres (0.79 to 1.65 in) long by 1.8 to 3 centimetres (0.71 to 1.18 in) wide. At the end of the fruit are 3 (rarely 4) valves, deeply enclosed within the large opening. The name Corymbia ficifolia has its origin in Latin: fici, of figs, and folium, leaf, and refers to the leaf shape resembling that of the genus Ficus.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Myrtales
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Family: Myrtaceae
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Genus: Corymbia
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