Australian Tree Trunk Photo No. 3, "Rorschach"

(Click image to enlarge)

I always find the trunks of eucalyptus trees interesting. I decided to photograph a few of them up close as abstracts. This is the third in the series, which now contains six photographs.The others can be found at:  1  2  4  5  6

This tree is one of about 800 different species within the genus Eucalyptus that are found in Australia. It is probably one of the four species of spotted gum. This photograph shows a patch of gray bark that has yet to fall away from the newer blue-white bark below it. At first it reminded me of an island on a world map. Then it reminded me of Marge Simpson of cartoon fame. Finally I decided to call it "Rorschach".

This particular tree is a spotted gum and it is quite healthy. The bark of all eucalyptus trees dies each year and eventually falls away. In smooth bark types the bark comes off in flakes, curls, or long strips. In rough bark types it accumulates in entwined, stringy masses.