Border ranges daisy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Border ranges daisy |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Brachyscome
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| Species: |
B. ascendens
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| Brachyscome ascendens G.L.Davis
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The Border Ranges Daisy (scientific name: Brachyscome ascendens) is a beautiful flowering plant found only in Australia. It's known for its lovely mauve (light purple) flowers with a bright yellow center, looking just like a classic daisy! This special plant belongs to the Asteraceae family, which is the same family as sunflowers and regular daisies.
What Does It Look Like?
The Border Ranges Daisy is a herbaceous perennial. This means it's a plant that doesn't have a woody stem like a tree, and it lives for more than two years. It grows slender stems that can trail along the ground or slightly stand up, reaching about 35 centimeters (about 14 inches) long. These stems have tiny, sticky hairs.
The leaves of the Border Ranges Daisy grow from the bottom of the plant and along its stems. They are usually shaped like a spearhead, wider at the top, and can be 7 to 40 millimeters (about 0.3 to 1.6 inches) long and 2 to 12 millimeters (about 0.08 to 0.5 inches) wide. The edges of the leaves often have small rounded parts or teeth. As you go up the stem, the leaves get smaller and have fewer of these rounded parts. The leaves closest to the flowers are often smooth and narrow.
The daisy's petals are about 8 to 10 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and are a pretty mauve or lilac color. The center of the flower is bright yellow. Underneath the flower, there are 12 to 18 overlapping leaf-like parts called bracts. These bracts are about 7 to 11 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) across, and they are elliptic or egg-shaped with rounded tips.
When the flowers turn into fruit, they become thin, brown, and dry. These fruits are about 1.9 to 2.3 millimeters (about 0.07 to 0.09 inches) long, flat, and egg-shaped, with small bumpy spots on their surface. You can usually see these daisies flowering in April, October, and December.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scientific name Brachyscome ascendens was first officially described in 1948 by a scientist named Gwenda Davis. She published her description in a scientific journal called Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.
The second part of its scientific name, ascendens, comes from a Latin word that means "to mount," "to climb," "to rise," or "to grow." This name likely refers to how its stems tend to grow upwards or climb.
Where Does It Live?
The Border Ranges Daisy grows in forests and woodlands. You can find it on rocky slopes made of basalt rock. It lives in the McPherson Range area and to the east, near the border between New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.
Is It Endangered?
Yes, the Border Ranges Daisy is considered an endangered species in New South Wales. This means there aren't many of these plants left in the wild, and they are at risk of disappearing forever if we don't protect them. Conservation efforts are important to help this beautiful daisy survive.
