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Alectryon diversifolius facts for kids

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Alectryon diversifolius
Alectyon diversifolius habit.jpg
Scientific classification
Genus:
Alectryon
Species:
diversifolius
Synonyms

Heterodendrum diversifolium F.Muell.

Alectryon diversifolius is a cool Australian plant often called the scrub boonaree or holly bush. It's part of the Sapindaceae plant family, which also includes plants like lychees and maples!

What Does Scrub Boonaree Look Like?

Alectryon diversifolius foliage
Alectryon diversifolius foliage showing the diversity of leaf forms.

The scrub boonaree usually grows as a shrub, which is like a small, bushy tree. It can reach up to 4 meters (about 13 feet) tall. Its leaves are quite special because they can look very different, even on the same plant! Some leaves might be oval, while others are long and narrow. Some even have spiky edges, just like a holly leaf. This is why it's sometimes called the "holly bush."

Where Can You Find Scrub Boonaree?

You can find the scrub boonaree growing in central and south-eastern Queensland (Qld) and north-eastern New South Wales (N.S.W.) in Australia. It often grows in areas called Brigalow scrub, which are special forests with a type of acacia tree called Brigalow. These plants like to grow in dark, clay soil.

Who Named the Scrub Boonaree?

This plant was first described by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller in 1858. He gave it the name Heterodendrum diversifolius. Later, in 1987, another scientist named Sally T. Reynolds moved it to a different group of plants called the Alectryon genus.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alectryon diversifolius para niños

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