Coastal woollybush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adenanthos sericeus subsp. sericeus |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Adenanthos |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
A. s. subsp. sericeus
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| Trinomial name | |
| Adenanthos sericeus subsp. sericeus |
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The coastal woollybush (scientific name: Adenanthos sericeus subsp. sericeus) is a special type of shrub. It grows naturally along the south coast of Western Australia. This plant is famous for its bright red, small flowers and very soft, deeply divided leaves that feel hairy. It is a subspecies of the larger Adenanthos sericeus family. You can mostly find the coastal woollybush near King George Sound.
What Does It Look Like?
The coastal woollybush usually grows as an upright, spreading shrub (a bushy plant). Sometimes, it can even become a small tree. When the branches are young, they have short hairs on them. These hairs fall off as the plant gets older. Its flowers are a bright red color. After the flowers, the plant grows a small, oval-shaped fruit called an achene. This fruit is about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long.
The leaves of this specific woollybush are usually longer than 30 millimeters (1.2 inches). They are divided into many small, narrow parts called laciniae. A single leaf can have anywhere from 11 to 35 of these parts, and sometimes even up to 50! This is how it is different from its close relative, A. sericeus subsp. sphalma. That other subspecies has smaller leaves with fewer divisions, usually around 6, and rarely more than 12.
Who Discovered and Named It?
The coastal woollybush was first described by a scientist named Jacques Labillardière in 1805. He gave the main species its name. Later, in 1978, another scientist named Ernest Charles Nelson identified a different subspecies. When he did this, the original plant described by Labillardière automatically became known as A. sericeus subsp. sericeus. This is a common way new plant names are created in botany.
Where Does It Grow?
Adenanthos sericeus subsp. sericeus mostly grows around King George Sound in Western Australia. You can find it stretching west towards Torbay Inlet and east almost to Cape Riche. Sometimes, it grows very close to the ocean.
This plant prefers sandy soil that comes from weathered granite rocks. It does not like soils with a lot of lime. Because of this, most groups of coastal woollybush plants are found near granite hills. Even though it only grows in a specific area, it is very common there. It often becomes the main plant type in those locations.
See also
In Spanish: Adenanthos sericeus para niños
