Eucalyptus aurifodina
RuleTree to 12 m tall; bark rough to small branches, stringy. Juvenile leaves shortly petiolate, opposite for few pairs, scabrous above and below, then alternate, ovate to broadly ovate, symmetrical, to 5.5 cm long, 4 cm wide, soon becoming glabrous, glossy, green; adult leaves petiolate, alternate, elliptic or ovate, rarely ovate-lanceolate, basally oblique, 4–8 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide, concolorous, glossy, green; reticulation moderate, with numerous island oil glands. Inflorescences axillary, unbranched; peduncles slender, to 1.2 cm long, 7–11-flowered; buds pedicellate, ovoid or slightly clavate, to 0.7 cm long, 0.3 cm diam., no scar (single operculum); operculum conical; stamens inflexed; anthers dorsifixed, reniform; ovules in 2 vertical rows; flowers white. Fruit shortly pedicellate, hemispherical, to 0.7 cm long, 0.8 cm diam.; disc level to ascending; valves 3 or 4, rim level or exserted; seed black, lacunose, pyramidal but distorted by one curved face, hilum terminal. Flowers early autumn.
VVP, Gold, CVU. Occurs in dry woodland in the northern and western goldfields between Gisborne, Castlemaine and Avoca, generally in gravelly soils on dry, stony slopes and rises.
Recently segregated from Eucalyptus baxteri, from which it is distinguished by its smooth or slightly scurfy (c.f. warty) buds and relatively slender peduncles. It also closely resembles E. arenacea, which is generally found in sandy inland sites, and has longer leaves and larger fruits.
