Named after the locality of Balladonia, Western Australia.

Balladonia Mallee.

A description for the species is provided by Chippendale (1988: 242). For more recent descriptions (adapted from EUCLID 4th edn, 2020) see subspecies profiles.

Eucalyptus balladoniensis is a mallee species. It has rough bark and slightly glossy, green leaves. Bud clusters are spreading to pendulous. Buds are obese and the operculum is conspicuously contracted in the upper part to form a broad beak.

Native.

Endemic to Western Australia, distributed from the Balladonia area southwest towards Mount Ney and Mount Ridley.

Grows on plains and gentle slopes in open shrubland (Chippendale 1988: 242). Grows in dry woodlands preferring sandy rises or calcareous sandy loams (EUCLID 4th edn).

Eucalyptus balladoniensis Brooker, Nuytsia 2(2): 103 (1976). Type: 80 km by road S of Zanthus, W.A., 13 Feb. 1970, M.I.H. Brooker 2471; holo: PERTH. [The locality and collector number may well be in error, fide Hill & Johnson (1992: 614).]

In the classification of Brooker (2000), Eucalyptus balladoniensis belongs in Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus section Bisectae subsection Destitutae because buds have two opercula, cotyledons are Y-shaped and branchlets lack oil glands in the pith. Within this subsection it is related closely to only one other species, E. indurata, the two species forming series Balladonienses. Both species have rough bark, flaky to fibrous and more or less compacted in E. balladoniensis and hard, compacted in E. indurata. Adult leaves are slightly glossy in E. balladoniensis and very glossy in E. indurata. E. balladoniensis has more bluntly and stoutly beaked opercula and larger buds and fruit. Both species have yellow flowers.

There are two subspecies:

Eucalyptus balladoniensis subsp. balladoniensis - with distinctly pedicellate buds and fruit. 
Eucalyptus balladoniensis subsp. sedens - has ± sessile buds and fruit, pedicel if present very short.

See also MORE ABOUT EUCALYPTS.

M.I.H. Brooker, Nuytsia 2(2): 104, fig. 1 (1976); S. Kelly et al., Eucalypts 2: t. 249 (1983); A.S. George (ed.), Flora of Australia 19: 244, fig. 75E–F (1988).

Brooker, M.I.H. (1976). Six new taxa of Eucalyptus from Western Australia. Nuytsia 2(2): 103–117.

Brooker, M.I.H. (2000). A new Classification of the Genus Eucalyptus L'Her. (Myrtaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 13(1): 79–148.

Chippendale, G.M. (1988). Myrtaceae - Eucalyptus, Angophora, in George, A.S. (ed.), Flora of Australia Volume 19. (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra).

Hill, K.D. & Johnson, L.A.S. (1992). Systematic studies in the eucalypts. 5. New taxa and combinations in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) in Western Australia. Telopea 4(4): 561–634.

Slee, A.V., Brooker, M.I.H., Duffy, S.M. & West, J.G. (2020). EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia Forth Edition. (Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research: Canberra, CSIRO, ABRS and others).

Published 7 May 2025. Adapted from EUCLID - Eucalypts of Australia Forth Edition (2020).