Apophyllum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Apophyllum
Scientific classification
Genus:	Apophyllum
Species:	anomalum

Apophyllum is a type of plant found only in Australia. It has only one species, which means it's a monotypic genus. This single species is called Apophyllum anomalum. People often call it the warrior bush or broom bush.

Description and Where It Lives

The warrior bush grows in semi-arid (dry) areas of Australia. You can find it mostly in New South Wales and Queensland. It is usually a shrub that grows 3 to 5 meters (about 10-16 feet) tall. Its branches can sometimes droop down, especially when older.

This plant has very few leaves. Its leaves are thin and long, about 5-15mm (0.2-0.6 inches) in length. The flowers are unisexual, meaning they are either male or female. They can grow in groups or by themselves. The flowers are greenish-white to yellow. They have 3-4 hairy sepals (leaf-like parts under the petals) and 2-5 petals.

Male flowers have 8-6 stamens (parts that make pollen). Female flowers have 1-3 stamens and an ovary (where seeds develop). The fruits are round and purple, about 5-8mm (0.2-0.3 inches) wide. The warrior bush flowers in spring and early summer.

Even though it's usually a small bush, the warrior bush can sometimes grow into a small tree. The largest one ever recorded was about 4 meters (13 feet) tall. Young branches and berries are eaten by farm animals like sheep and cattle. Wild goats also like to graze on them.

When the warrior bush flowers in November and December, it attracts many black and white caper white butterflies. Their caterpillars can sometimes cause a lot of damage to the plant. It's interesting to see so many butterflies on a plant that doesn't have many leaves. The wood of the warrior bush is very strong and dense. This helps the plant survive in dry conditions. Kangaroos and wallabies are often found where the warrior bush grows.

How It Was Discovered

A government botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller first described the warrior bush around 1855. Mueller achieved many things, including starting the National Herbarium of Victoria. A herbarium is like a library for dried plant samples.

Several years after the herbarium opened in 1853, Mueller described the Apophyllum anomalum species. He added it to the National Herbarium of Victoria. Today, almost 20% of all recorded warrior bush samples are found there. Between the National Herbarium of New South Wales and the Herbarium of Queensland, about 53% of the country's warrior bush recordings are kept. This information comes from The Australian Plant Census.

What Threatens It

The semi-arid areas where the warrior bush lives are tough, wild, and dry. When Europeans first settled in Australia, this environment was very harsh. This settlement put many local plant and animal species at risk. The warrior bush was also affected, though not as badly as some others.

When settlers found underground water, farming and raising animals grew quickly in the region. These changes in Australia have included:

• Indigenous Australians being moved from their lands.
• Natural fire patterns being changed.
• Forestry practices changing how native plants grow.

The warrior bush is currently common in its habitat. However, we need to think about current animal grazing, farming, and forestry. These activities could pose future threats to the Apophyllum species. For example, too many sheep and cattle grazing can eat too much of the warrior bush. This can also cause major soil erosion.

In dry areas, goats add even more grazing pressure on plants and shrubs. Bush goats are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. They are common in Australia's semi-arid areas. They are known to find the warrior bush tasty. When there are many feral (wild) goats, they can eat so much that it affects how the warrior bush grows and reproduces. Goats can also damage plants by trampling them.

Large-scale land-clearing for crops, grazing, and city growth has reduced native plant cover. This includes the warrior bush. This has led to problems like:

• Salt building up in the soil (salinisation).
• More dirt, nutrients, and salt in rivers and streams.
• Loss of animal homes (habitat).
• A decrease in the variety of living things (biodiversity).

Also, new plant and animal species brought into an area can be a big threat to native plants. Many introduced species are now considered serious weeds in Australia. Since Europeans settled in Australia, 61 plant species have become extinct. Another 1,239 species are currently considered threatened. Luckily, the warrior bush is not classified as a threatened plant species. Its conservation status is "LC," which means "least concern."

See also

In Spanish: Apophyllum anomalum para niños