Mallee

The ecology of much Western Australian mallee is poorly understood, so only a few general points can be made here. Mallee dominated by eucalypts including Eucalyptus redunca and E. eremophilia is mapped as widespread (Beard, 1975) on areas of brown calcareous earths north of Esperance (Northcote et al., 1967).

Large areas of mallee shrublands are now either reserved specifically for biodiversity conservation or else managed sympathetically. Fire is a prominent feature of the semi-arid lands in general and the mallee shrublands in particular.

Although not totally destitute of animal life, in the summer season very few living creatures, beyond innumerable tribes of insects, are to be found within the Mallee.

'They're going to lynch you, Regerson,' Harry told him, grinning. 'You'd better take to the mallee before they come for you.'

It made no difference that he had also invented several ploughs and a device for grubbing Mallee country or that people had journeyed all the way from Melbourne to inspect them.

An immense tract of country in this district is entirely occupied by a "scrub," as it is called in Colonial language, consisting of the mallee plant, Eucalyptus dumosa, the leaves of which at certain seasons become covered with this species of manna, which is known to the natives by the name of Lerp, the l being pronounced like the Italian gl.

The water-yielding Eucalyptus is one of the many species which pass under the name of Eucalyptus Dumosa, extending from the desert tributaries of the Murray, westward, as far as Swan River, constituting those almost impenetrable scrubs called Malleè.

From the mallee and kurrajong trees came a rowdy chatter of parakeets, while queer soughing of air-currents came from the valley top.