Calytrix acutifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calytrix acutifolia |
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| Calytrix acutifolia foliage and flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Calytrix
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| Species: |
acutifolia
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Calytrix acutifolia is a special type of plant found only in Western Australia. It belongs to the myrtle family, which includes many well-known plants like eucalyptus trees. This plant is a shrub, meaning it's a woody plant smaller than a tree.
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What is Calytrix acutifolia?
This plant is an open and slender shrub. It usually grows up to about 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall. You can see its beautiful white, cream, or yellow flowers blooming for many months. They typically appear between April and December.
Where does Calytrix acutifolia grow?
You can find Calytrix acutifolia in different places across Western Australia. It likes to grow on sand dunes, hillsides, and even in swampy areas. Sometimes, it pops up among rocky outcrops or on breakaways, which are steep cliffs. It grows in sandy or loamy soils, often over granite or laterite rock. These areas include the Swan Coastal Plain and the Geraldton Sand Plains.
How did Calytrix acutifolia get its name?
The story of this plant's name is quite interesting! A botanist, who is a scientist who studies plants, named John Lindley first described it in 1839. He called it Lhotskya acutifolia. This was part of his work called A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony.
Later, in 1987, another botanist named Lyndley Craven studied the plant again. He decided it fit better into a different group of plants called Calytrix. So, he reclassified it as Calytrix acutifolia. This change was published in a science journal called Brunonia.
Are there different types of Calytrix acutifolia?
Yes, there is one recognized subspecies of Calytrix acutifolia. A subspecies is a group of plants within a species that has small differences. The subspecies is called Calytrix acutifolia subsp. acutifolia.
