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19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Scribbly-gum tree recovering after fire

This Scribbly-gum tree (Eucalyptus haemastoma) is recovering from fire by putting out epicormic shoots. These shoots grow from buds lying underneath the bark. This tree had lost nearly all its leaves in a fire, but the epicormic shoots helped it to survive. The bright red/orange colours in the new leaves are due to anthocyanin, a pigment that protects the leaves from insect predation and from sun damage. The 'scribbles' on the bark of these trees are made by the larvae of tiny moths, which burrow under the bark. Like many eucalypts, scribbly-gums lose their old bark each year, and when they do so the trails of the larvae can be seen.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: n/a, Australia
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Keith Horton