Eucalyptus pellita large-fruited red mahogany

Eucalyptus pellita at Pearce Mitchell Houses, behind the old schoolyard wall of the Stanford Elementary School, which stood at that spot. 10 Jul 2019, Sairus Patel

Eucalyptus pellita buds and fruit. John Rawlings

This tree, which resembles E. resinifera, has the pleasant habit of dropping collectible, woody opercula that children like to play with and that adults think they should be able to do something with. They are about ⅓ inch across.

Appropriately enough, a specimen was planted in the Stanford Elementary School yard, which was later built over by Pearce Mitchell Houses. The tree still stands on Salvatierra Street close to Santa Ynez Street against the old schoolyard wall. Two others grew in the north corner of the Bonair Siding parking lot (location), but were cut down fall 2008 during a remodeling project of a sports facility.

E. pellita along with E. resinifera are in series Annulares – the bark is fibrous throughout; the adult leaves are alternate, green, and discolorous; and the valves number 3–4 and are exserted.

Fallen opercula and seed capsules form a dense mulch under the Eucalyptus pellita at Pearce Mitchell Houses. 10 Dec 2021, Sairus Patel

Related material: Eucalyptus checklist.

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