Description: Generally trees, sometimes mallee-like; bark persistent (shortly fibrous-flaky, parting in small polygons), or smooth (shedding in polygonal flakes or short strips).
Leaves dimorphic; juvenile leaves opposite; adult leaves usually disjunct opposite; similifacial or less commonly dorsiventral, lateral veins closely spaced, oil glands usually present in leaves.
Inflorescences compound, terminal or lateral, often extensively branched, generally based on regular 7-flowered umbellasters. Calyx fused into a calyptra which persists to anthesis, or shedding before the inner calyptra. Corolla of ± free petals, adherent to the calyx (but separable) or ± fused to the calyx (and shed with the outer calyptra), or fused into an inner calyptra and falling after the outer calyptra and sometimes with it. Stamens numerous, usually in several continuous whorls; filaments regularly inflexed in bud; anthers versatile oblong, dehiscing through parallel slits. Ovary half-inferior, usually 3-locular, enclosed by hypanthium except at top; ovules numerous, ovulodes present.
Fruit a capsule, becoming woody in most species; disc depressed; valves enclosed.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 115 species, all but 5 endemic to Aust. (4 spp. native, 1 sp. N.G.) all States except Tas.
Text by K.D. Hill
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Corymbia citriodora
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Fruit papery; bark smooth with persistent tessellated stocking on lower trunk | Corymbia tessellaris |
| Fruit woody; bark smooth or persistent on all of trunk | 2 |
| 2 | Bark smooth on trunk (spotted gums) | 3 |
| Bark persistent and tessellated on trunk (bloodwoods)
Back to 1 | 5 |
| 3 | Fruit >11 mm diam. | Corymbia henryi |
| Fruit <11 mm diam
Back to 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Adult leaves with length:breadth ratio mostly 2–7:1; juvenile leaves ovate; south of Port Macquarie | Corymbia maculata |
| Adult leaves with length:breadth ratio mostly 5–15:1; juvenile leaves narrow-lanceolate; north from Coffs Harbour
Back to 3 | Corymbia variegata |
| 5 | Fruit 5–8 mm diam. | Corymbia trachyphloia |
| Fruit 8–19 mm diam.
Back to 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Adult leaves concolorous | 7 |
| Adult leaves discolorous
Back to 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Outer calyptra persistent; buds pedicellate | Corymbia tumescens |
| Outer calyptra shed early; buds sessile
Back to 6 | Corymbia eximia |
| 8 | Bark flaking off on smaller branches; seeds not winged | Corymbia gummifera |
| Bark fully persistent on smaller branches; seeds winged
Back to 6 | 9 |
| 9 | Adult leaves broad-lanceolate or ovate | Corymbia intermedia |
| Adult leaves lanceolate
Back to 8 | Corymbia dolichocarpa |
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