Eucalyptus megacornuta warted yate

It is hard to resist picking up the giant opercula that fall from this small, upright, colorful tree. They are big enough for kids to stick on their fingers and pretend to be a witch, just as with E. conferruminata, but more threatening. The flower buds, packed in sevens on a long strap-shaped peduncle, are very strange in themselves, and suitable for dry arrangements. The ensemble of seven, long-stamened, greenish-yellow flowers, is often likened to a shaving brush.

Specimens have been destroyed by building construction. The most recent example, on the north side of Raimundo Way, roughly opposite Wing Place, was removed around 2010. Schoolyards would be a good place for replacements.

Eucalyptus megacornuta voucher. Courtesy of Prof. Matt Ritter and Robert F. Hoover Herbarium, Cal Poly State University

Illustrations: E. megacornuta gallery.

Related material: Eucalyptus checklist.