Achnophora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Achnophora |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
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| Order: | |
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| Tribe: |
Astereae
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| Subtribe: |
Hinterhuberinae
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| Genus: |
Achnophora
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| Binomial name | |
| Achnophora tatei |
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Achnophora is a special group (called a genus) of flowering plants that belong to the daisy family. This group was first described in 1883.
The only known plant in this group is called Achnophora tatei'. It's a very rare plant found only on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. When a plant is found only in one specific place, it's called endemic.
Contents
About the Kangaroo Island Daisy
What it Looks Like
Roots
The A. tatei plant has a thick, smooth, and upright underground stem called a rhizome. This rhizome has many short, thick roots growing from it.
Leaves
The leaves of A. tatei grow in a circle at the bottom of the plant, like a rosette. They are long and narrow, and each leaf has a special base called a sheath that wraps around the stem.
Flowers
The flowers of A. tatei grow on a single stem called a scape. This stem grows directly from the underground rhizome. The flower stems are thin, reddish, and almost bare, growing about as long as the leaves.
Each flower has one head and is surrounded by a circle of small, leaf-like structures called bracts. This circle of bracts (called an involucre) looks like half of a sphere.
The bracts are usually in three rows and are different lengths. They can be egg-shaped with the wider part at the bottom (called ovate) or egg-shaped with the narrower part at the bottom (called obovate). These bracts are about 4 to 5 millimeters long and have dry, thin edges.
Inside the flower, there's a part called the receptacle. It has clear, oblong (longer than wide) scales between the individual flowers.
The outer flowers (called ray-flowers) are female and grow in one row. They have about 25 narrow, blue petals (called ligules) that are about 10 millimeters long.
The inner flowers (called disc-flowers) are shaped like tubes. Their style-branches (part of the female reproductive organ) are very slender.
The anthers (the part that holds pollen) are blunt and rounded at their base.
Naming the Plant
Where the Name Comes From
Achnophora tatei is commonly known as the Kangaroo Island Daisy.
The name Achnophora comes from two ancient Greek words: 'achne', which means 'chaff', and 'phoros', which means 'bearing'. This name refers to the visible scales on the receptacle and the pappus (a feathery part on the seed).
The second part of the name, tatei, honors Ralph Tate (1840-1901). He was a British botanist and geologist who became a professor at the University of Adelaide.
Where it Lives
A. tatei is found along the southern coast of Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This plant likes to grow in wet, swampy areas.
Protecting the Plant
The South Australian Government has classified Achnophora tatei as a vulnerable species. This means it's at risk of disappearing. It's vulnerable because it grows in a very small area, and its habitat is being affected by increasing salt levels in the soil.
