The natural distribution of Eucalyptus species in Tasmania - Forestry ...

Eucalyptus archeri
SUBGENUS: Symphyomyrtus
SERIES: Viminales
Common name:
Archer's gum
alpine cider gum
Figure 6. Distribution of
E. archeri in Tasmania.
Eucalyptus archeri is a localised endemic
species associated with cold, relatively
poorly drained, shallow, peaty soils of rocky
outcrops at, or immediately below, tier and
plateau escarpments along the northern edge
of the Central Plateau and mountains of the
north-east (Figure 6). It has been treated as
a subspecies of E. gunnii by some authors
(Pryor and Johnson 1971; Potts and Reid 1985
a, b) but is treated as a separate species by
Curtis and Morris (1975) and Chippendale
(1988). It intergrades clinally with E. gunnii
following a gradient of decreasing rainfall
and increasing frost severity on the Central
Plateau but, in the north-east, the habitats
of these two species are geographically
separated (Potts 1985; Potts and Reid 1985a, b).
Eucalyptus archeri occurs at altitudes above
980 m but is predominant between 1100 m to
1200 m throughout its range (Figure 7), and
extends to 1350 m in the north-east on Ben
Lomond. The lowest altitude site occurs
on Mount Foster on Fingal Tier. The main
flowering period is January to April, peaking
in February and March (Figure 8).
Tasforests Vol. 8 51
December 1996