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Bowenia facts for kids

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Bowenia
Bowenia Spectabilis 2 years.jpg
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Cycadophyta
Class: Cycadopsida
Order: Cycadales
Family: Stangeriaceae
Subfamily: Bowenioideae
Pilger
Genus: Bowenia
Hook. ex Hook.f.
Species

Bowenia eocenica
Bowenia papillosa
Bowenia serrulata
Bowenia spectabilis

Bowenia is a special group of plants called cycads. Think of cycads as ancient plants that look a bit like palms or ferns. The Bowenia group includes two types that are still alive today and two types that are only known from fossils. These plants are found only in Australia.

The two living species of Bowenia grow in Queensland, a state in Australia. One species, Bowenia spectabilis, loves warm, wet rainforests. It usually grows on protected hillsides and near streams in the lowlands. However, there's a special kind of B. spectabilis that has jagged leaf edges. This type can grow in rainforests, but also in areas with Acacia trees or Casuarina trees, where it sometimes faces bushfires. The other living species, Bowenia serrulata, grows in drier sclerophyll forests and areas where different types of forests meet. It's found close to the Tropic of Capricorn.

Types of Bowenia Plants

There are two main types of Bowenia plants that you can find alive today. Both are native to Queensland, Australia.

  • Bowenia serrulata
  • Bowenia spectabilis

Ancient Bowenia Plants

Scientists have also found two types of Bowenia that are now extinct, meaning they no longer exist. These are known only from fossils.

  • Bowenia eocenica: This fossil species was found in a coal mine in Victoria, Australia.
  • Bowenia papillosa: This fossil species was discovered in New South Wales, Australia.

Both of these fossil Bowenia plants lived during a time called the Eocene epoch, which was millions of years ago. The fossils are mostly small pieces of their leaves.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bowenia para niños

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