Tree to 20 m tall; bark smooth throughout, to rough and loose over most of trunk. Juvenile leaves petiolate, alternate, elliptic to ovate, to 19 cm long, 8.5 cm wide, dull, green; adult leaves petiolate, alternate, ovate to broadly lanceolate, undulate, to 9–17 cm long, 2–3.5 cm wide, concolorous, glossy, green; reticulation dense, typically lacking visible oil glands. Inflorescences axillary, unbranched; peduncles to 1.4 cm long, 7-flowered; buds pedicellate, diamond-shaped, scar present; operculum conical; stamens inflexed; anthers dorsifixed, cuneate; ovules in 4 vertical rows; flowers white. Fruit pedicellate, obconical; disc level or raised and annular; valves 3 or 4, to rim level; seed brown-black, fiattened-ellipsoid, lacunose, hilum ventral.
LoM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp.
Only relatively recently has the distinction of E. ovata from E. strzeleckii and E. bunyip (distinguished particularly the densely glandular leaves, dicolorous juveniles and glaucous new growth of adult leaves), and E. brookeriana (distinguished by the glossy green, crenulate, glandular, discolorous juvenile leaves) been recognized.
In sheltered subcoastal areas of Gippsland (e.g. Genoa) and the lower Otway Range (e.g. near Anglesea) populations of tall, slender swamp gums are found that appear to be intermediate between E. brookeriana and E. ovata. They are characterized by a rough stocking of bark for about 4 m above the base, discolorous, slightly crenulate, glandular, elliptic-ovate juvenile leaves, slightly undulate, broadly lanceolate adult leaves with few or no oil glands and buds and fruit like typical E. ovata. They grow in pure stands and in autumn have striking yellow-rusty brown newly exposed smooth bark.
3 subspecies, 2 in Victoria. Plants from coastal areas in south-western Victoria with obtuse opercula and relatively large fruits may represent a fourth, currently undescribed subspecies.
