Astroloma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astroloma |
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| Astroloma foliosum | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Subfamily: | Styphelioideae |
| Tribe: | Styphelieae |
| Genus: | Astroloma R.Br. |
Astroloma is a group of about 20 types of flowering plants found only in Australia. These plants belong to the Ericaceae family, which also includes plants like heaths and rhododendrons. Most Astroloma species grow in Western Australia. A few kinds can also be found in other parts of Australia, such as New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia.
Contents
What is Astroloma?
Astroloma plants are a special group of flowering plants. They are endemic to Australia. This means they naturally grow nowhere else in the world. They are part of the Ericaceae family, which is known for its beautiful flowers.
Discovering Astroloma
A famous botanist named Robert Brown first officially described the Astroloma group of plants. He did this in 1810. He wrote about them in a very important book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. This book was about the plants of Australia, which was then known as New Holland.
Why the Name Astroloma?
The name Astroloma comes from two old Greek words. Astron means "a star," and loma means "a fringe." This name describes a cool feature inside the flowers. If you look closely, you'll see five small tufts of hair. These hairs are at the bottom of the flower's tube. They are arranged in a way that looks like a tiny star.
Types of Astroloma Plants
There are about 20 different kinds of Astroloma plants. Here are some of them:
- Astroloma baxteri
- Astroloma cataphractum
- Astroloma ciliatum
- Astroloma compactum
- Astroloma conostephioides - Also known as Flame heath
- Astroloma drummondii
- Astroloma epacridis
- Astroloma foliosum - Also known as Candle cranberry
- Astroloma glaucescens
- Astroloma humifusum - Also known as Cranberry heath
- Astroloma macrocalyx
- Astroloma microcalyx
- Astroloma microdonta
- Astroloma microphyllum
- Astroloma pallidum
- Astroloma pedicellatum
- Astroloma pinifolium - Also known as Pine heath
- Astroloma recurvum
- Astroloma stomarrhena
- Astroloma xerophyllum
See also
In Spanish: Astroloma para niños
