Eucalyptus platypus, also known as the Moort or Round-leaved Moort, is a small tree which occurs in an area between Albany

Albany, Western Australia

Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....

 and Esperance

Esperance, Western Australia

Esperance is a large town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located on the Southern Ocean coastline approximately east-southeast of the state capital, Perth. The shire of Esperance is home to 9,536 people as of the 2006 census, its major industries are tourism, agriculture,...

 in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

.

Description

It is a mallee

Mallee (habit)

Mallee is the growth habit of certain eucalypt species that grow with multiple stems springing from an underground lignotuber, usually to a height of no more than ten metres...

  Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...

 and grows to between 1.5m and 10 metres in height. The canopy of the tree is dense and rounded and the leaves are elliptical to orbicular

Leaf shape

In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...

. The bark is smooth and light brown, ageing to grey.

A distinctive feature of this species are its elongated flat peduncles

Peduncle (botany)

In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...

 which are about 3 cm long and 1 cm wide. These are referred to in its specific name platypus which is derived from the Greek words πλατύς (platy: flat, broad) and πους (pous: foot). The peduncles support stalkless buds with long, conical caps in clusters of up to seven. These are followed by greenish-yellow (or occasionally white, cream or (rarely) red) flowers in spring and summer which are to some degree obscured by the dense foliage.

It was first described by William Jackson Hooker

William Jackson Hooker

Sir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...

 in 1851, from the type specimen collected near King George Sound

King George Sound

King George Sound is the name of a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Located at , it is the site of the city of Albany.The sound covers an area of and varies in depth from to ....

  by James Drummond

James Drummond (botanist)

James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...

.

Subspecies

There are currently two recognized subspecies of Eucalyptus platypus:

• Eucalyptus platypus subsp. congregata Brooker
  Ian Brooker
  Murray Ian Hill Brooker AM , better known as Ian Brooker, is an Australian botanist. He is widely recognised as the leading authority on the genus Eucalyptus....
  
   & Hopper
  Stephen Hopper
  Stephen Donald Hopper is a Western Australian botanist, specialising in conservation biology and vascular plants. He has written eight books, and has over 200 publications to his name. He was Director of Kings Park in Perth for seven years, and CEO of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority for five...
  
   
• Eucalyptus platypus Hook.  subsp. platypus

Two former subspecies are now classified as species in their own right. Eucalyptus platypus var. heterophylla Blakely

William Blakely

William F. Blakely was an Australian botanist and collector. He worked with Joseph Maiden. Maiden named a red gum in his honour, Eucalyptus blakelyi.- External links :*http://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/blakely-william.html...

  is currently Eucalyptus utilis Brooker

Ian Brooker

Murray Ian Hill Brooker AM , better known as Ian Brooker, is an Australian botanist. He is widely recognised as the leading authority on the genus Eucalyptus....

 & Hopper

Stephen Hopper

Stephen Donald Hopper is a Western Australian botanist, specialising in conservation biology and vascular plants. He has written eight books, and has over 200 publications to his name. He was Director of Kings Park in Perth for seven years, and CEO of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority for five...

  and Eucalyptus platypus var. nutans (F.Muell.) Benth. is currently Eucalyptus nutans (F. Muell.)