Common name for
an uncommon species of
eucalyptus tree, with various scientific
botanical names, including Eucalyptus deglupta, Eucalyptus
versicolor, Eucalyptus sarassa, Eucalyptus binacag, and Eucalyptus
multiflora. It
has a peeling bark of a
striped army camouflage colour and pattern,
though older
varieties may have more and brighter colours, including different
shades of yellow, orange, red, blue, bright green and purple, and
those are commonly referred to as Rainbow Trees.
Comparable to other eucalyptus
trees, it continually renews its bark from the
inside by throwing off its outer skin. The
bark subsequently cracks and peels off producing colourful
stripes, reminiscent of those on a tiger. In
Thai, it is known by the names
seua kohng
(เสือโค้ง),
i.e.
‘arching tiger’, for its tiger-like striped pattern;
ton pleuay (ต้นเปลือย),
i.e. ‘stripped tree’ or ‘bare tree’, for its naked trunk, and
ton pleuak mai laai phraang
(ต้นเปลือกไม้ลายพราง), literally ‘tree with
camouflage striped bark’ or simply ‘camouflage tree’, for its
characteristic
army camouflage colours. It is said to be the only eucalyptus that
grows naturally in the northern hemisphere. Eucalyptus deglupta can
grow up to sixty meters high and reach a diameter of 1.80 meter. Although
rare, it is most usually found
in northern Thailand.
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