Bent goodenia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bent goodenia |
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| Genus: |
Goodenia
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| Species: |
geniculata
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Goodenia geniculata, also known as the bent goodenia or native primrose, is a lovely flowering plant. It belongs to the Goodeniaceae family. You can find this plant only in south-eastern Australia. It's a low-growing plant that often spreads out. It has yellow flowers that bloom in clusters.
What it Looks Like
The bent goodenia is a small, hairy plant that grows low to the ground or slightly upwards. Its stems can grow up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long. It often sends out special stems called stolons. These stolons can grow roots and new plants, helping it spread.
The leaves at the bottom of the plant are long and narrow, like a spearhead. They are usually 30 to 100 millimeters (about 1 to 4 inches) long and 3 to 10 millimeters wide. Often, their edges are slightly toothed.
The flowers grow in groups called racemes, which can be up to 50 millimeters (about 2 inches) long. Each group of flowers sits on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 15 to 50 millimeters long. Small, leaf-like parts called bracts are found at the base of these flower stalks. Sometimes, a single flower can grow where a leaf joins the stem.
Each flower has its own small stalk, called a pedicel, which is 20 to 50 millimeters long. The green parts that protect the flower bud, called sepals, are about 4 to 5 millimeters long. The bright yellow flower petals, known as the corolla, are about 14 to 16 millimeters long and have tiny hairs on their backs. The lower parts of the corolla are 7 to 8 millimeters long and have wide, wing-like edges about 3 millimeters wide.
This plant usually flowers from September to January. After flowering, it produces an oval-shaped fruit called a capsule. This capsule is about 10 millimeters long and 7 millimeters wide.
Naming the Plant
The bent goodenia was first officially described in 1810. A famous botanist named Robert Brown gave it its scientific name, Goodenia geniculata. He wrote about it in his book, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
Where it Grows
You can find this goodenia plant growing in different places across south-eastern Australia. It likes woodlands, forests, grasslands, and scrub areas. It's quite common in South Australia and Victoria. However, it is much rarer in Tasmania, where it only grows in a few spots.
Protecting the Plant
Because it's so rare in Tasmania, Goodenia geniculata is listed as "endangered" there. This means it's at high risk of disappearing forever if we don't protect it. The Tasmanian Government's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 helps to protect plants like the bent goodenia.
