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Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Common name:	Red River Gum	Family:	Myrtaceae
Author:	Dehnh.	Botanical references:	11, 77, 200
Synonyms:	Eucalyptus rostratus (Schltdl.)
Known Hazards:	Citronellal, an essential oil found in most Eucalyptus species is reported to be mutagenic when used in isolation[269]. In large doses, oil of eucalyptus, like so many essential oils has caused fatalities from intestinal irritation[269]. Death is reported from ingestion of 4 - 24 ml of essential oils, but recoveries are also reported for the same amount[269]. Symptoms include gastroenteric burning and irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, oxygen deficiency, ,weakness, dizziness, stupor, difficult respiration, delirium, paralysis, convulsions, and death, usually due to respiratory failure[269].
Range:	Australia - in all mainland states.
Habitat:	Sandy to heavy soils[77], usually along the banks of streams[167].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	E. camaldulensis var. obtusa[G] E. longirostris[G] E. rostrata[E,G,H,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Bloodwood [E], Eucalipto [E], Eucalyptus Kino [E], Kafor [E], Kafor Aghaji [E], Kalebtuz [E], Redgum Tree [E], River Red Gum [H,B,DEN2], River Redgum [P], Sitma Aghaji [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Myrtle family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Australia India Iraq Italy Turkey Us

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 30m by 20m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry moist or wet soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Edible Uses

Seed.

Seed[144]. No further details are given but the seed is very small, not much bigger than a speck of dust[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiseptic Astringent.

Eucalyptus leaves are a traditional Aboriginal herbal remedy. The essential oil found in the leaves is a powerful antiseptic and is used all over the world for relieving coughs and colds, sore throats and other infections[254]. The essential oil is a common ingredient in many over-the-counter cold remedies[254].
The plant is an aromatic, astringent, tonic herb that sticks to the teeth and turns the saliva red[238]. The report says that the leaves, essential oil and oleo-resin are used[238], but does not specify which properties apply to the different parts of the plant[K]. The leaves and the oil will have very similar properties, the oil being much stronger in its effect since it is distilled from the leaves[K]. Detailed below is how the oleo-resin and oil are commonly used in other species[K].

The essential oil obtained from various species of eucalyptus is a very powerful antiseptic, especially when it is old, because ozone is formed in it on exposure to air. It has a decided disinfectant action, destroying the lower forms of life[4]. The oil can be used externally, applied to cuts, skin infections etc, it can also be inhaled for treating blocked nasal passages, it can be gargled for sore throat and can also be taken internally for a wide range of complaints[4]. Some caution is advised, however, because like all essential oils, it can have a deleterious effect on the body in larger doses[4].
An oleo- resin is exuded from the tree[238]. It can also be obtained from the tree by making incisions in the trunk[4, 152]. This resin contains tannin and is powerfully astringent, it is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and bladder inflammation[4, 152, 238], externally it is applied to cuts etc[4, 152].
Treats throat ailments[156].

Other Uses

Gum Soil stabilization Wood.

A gum is obtained from the plant. It is used medicinally and in tanning[156, 171].
The leaves contain 0.1 - 0.4% essential oil, 77% of which is cineol There is some cuminal, phellandrene, aromadendren (or aromadendral), and some valerylaldehyde, geraniol, cymene, and phellandral[269].
The leaves contain 5 - 11% tannin. The kino contains 45% kinotannic acid as well as kino red, a glycoside, catechol, and pyrocatechol[269]. The leaves and fruits test positive for flavonoids and sterols[269]. The bark contains 2.5 - 16% tannin, the wood 2 - 14%, and the kino 46.2 - 76.7%[269].
A fast growing tree with wide-ranging roots, it can be planted in soil stabilization schemes and can also be planted in marshy land where it will help in draining the land, thereby destroying a potential breeding site for mosquitoes[50]. It is planted in S. Italy for this purpose.
The wood, durable, easy to saw, yet resistant to termites, is widely used in Australia for strong durable construction, interior finish, flooring, cabinetry, furniture, fence posts, cross-ties, sometimes pulpwood[269]. Australian aborigines made canoes from the bark[269]. According to NAS (1980a), annual wood yields are around 20 - 25 m3/ha in Argentina, 30 m3 from Israel, 17 - 20 from Turkey in the first rotation, and 25 - 30 in subsequent coppice rotations[269]. On poor arid sites yields are only 2 - 11 m3 on 14 or 15 year rotations[269].

Cultivation details

Prefers a sunny position in a moderately fertile well-drained moisture retentive circum-neutral soil[200]. Succeeds in most soils[167], tolerating poor and dry soils, especially those low in mineral elements[200]. A drought resistant tree once established[77, 200], it is slightly salt tolerant[77], and can also withstand periodic inundation[77]. A very fast growing tree[77]. Plants tolerate an annual precipitation of 103 to 206cm and an annual temperature range of 18.0 to 26.6° C[269]. It is reported to grow in areas with only 20cm rainfall, but the lower limit for commercial plantations is 40cm. Some provenances tolerate many different soil conditions such as high calcium, high salt and periodic water-logging[269].The mean maximum temperature of the warmest month where it grows well is ca 29° C. The dry season lasts 4 - 8 months or more and may be severe[269].
Fairly frost resistant, plants survive temperatures down to at least -7° c in Australian gardens[77, 157]. This figure is not directly relatable to British gardens, however, because of our cooler summers and colder, wetter winters. It could be worthwhile giving this species a try in the milder areas of the country[K]. Some Provenances can tolerate temperatures down to about -5° C and up to 20 frosts per year[269]. Eucalyptus species have not adopted a deciduous habit and continue to grow until it is too cold for them to do so. This makes them more susceptible to damage from sudden cold snaps. If temperature fluctuations are more gradual, as in a woodland for example, the plants have the opportunity to stop growing and become dormant, thus making them more cold resistant. A deep mulch around the roots to prevent the soil from freezing also helps the trees to survive cold conditions[200]. The members of this genus are remarkably adaptable however, there can be a dramatic increase in the hardiness of subsequent generations from the seed of survivors growing in temperate zones[200].
Trees are liable to shed branches, especially in hot weather[167].
This is said to be the most widely distributed eucalyptus tree in Australia, ranging over 23° lat. in most of arid and semiarid Australia but not the humid eastern and south-western coasts. It is regarded as one of the most widely planted eucalypts in the world with more than 500,000 ha planted[269]. It is planted in Europe, especially in Italy, as a timber crop, for soil stabilization and as an anti-malarial measure[50]. Some provenances coppice well for six or more rotations, on good sites, plantations are managed on coppice rotations of 7 - 10 years[269]. Eucalyptus monocultures are an environmental disaster, they are voracious, allelopathic and encourage the worst possible attitudes to land use and conservation[200].
Plants are shallow-rooting and, especially in windy areas, should be planted out into their permanent positions when small to ensure that they do not suffer from wind-rock[245]. They strongly resent root disturbance and should be container grown before planting out into their permanent position[11].
Survivalists in Australia and elsewhere might learn how the aborigines obtained water from the superficial roots, usually those ca 3 cm in diameter. The roots were excavated or lifted to the soil surface. Then the root was cut into segments ca 45 cm long, debarked, held vertically, and blown into, the water then draining into the receptacle provided[269].
The flowers are rich in nectar and are a good bee crop[200].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow February/March in a sunny position in a greenhouse[11, 78, 134]. Species that come from high altitudes appreciate 6 - 8 weeks cold stratification at 2° c[200]. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the second set of seed leaves has developed, if left longer than this they might not move well. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer and give them some protection from the cold in their first winter. The seed can also be sown in June, the young trees being planted in their final positions in late spring of the following year. The seed has a long viability[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HEC] Use, Folk Medicine, etc. from Handbook of Energy Crops by James Duke
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Eucalyptus rostrata (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Myrtaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[77] Kelly. S. Eucalypts. (2 volumes.) Nelson, Melbourne 1969
A very readable book (in two volumes) on the many species of Eucalyptus trees in Australia.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[152] Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
A very good and readable guide to the subject.

[156] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981 ISBN 0-00-216441-8
A very readable book.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[167] Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974 ISBN 0-85179-627-3
A well illustrated and very readable book, but it does not contain much information for the plant project.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.

Readers Comments

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