The fruit is a woody cylindrical, cup-shaped or barrel-shaped capsule 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and wide with the valves near rim level.

[8][9] In 1913, Maiden raised the variety to species status as E. nitens, publishing the change in his book, A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus.

[10][11] The specific epithet (nitens) is a Latin word meaning "shining", referring to the leaves, flower buds, fruit and bark of this species.

There are two widely disjunct populations at high altitude (around 1,500 m (4,900 ft)) at Barrington Tops and near Ebor in north eastern New South Wales.

Toxicological studies (in six laboratories) reported on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Australian Story program Feb 2010[16][17] found that the surface scum (foam) collected from a river supplying water to a Tasmanian town kills water fleas, mollusc larvae and human cell lines, and it was reported on the same program that "a large increase in cancer sufferers and a lot of people with rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, lupus" might have the same cause.

[20] After the Australian Story went to air the Tasmanian Director of Public Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor, had had an activated carbon purification system added to the St Helens water treatment plant.

Dr Taylor stated at the time of its installation that "No scientific evidence has been presented to confirm the drinking water in St Helens was unsafe for human health before this precaution was taken".