Calytrix purpurea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calytrix purpurea |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calytrix
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| Species: |
purpurea
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The Calytrix purpurea is a special type of plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, which includes many well-known plants like eucalyptus. This plant is found only in Western Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific place, we say it is endemic to that area.
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About the Purple Starflower
This plant is a type of shrub. A shrub is a woody plant that is smaller than a tree. The Calytrix purpurea usually grows to be about 0.3 to 0.6 meters (or 1 to 2 feet) tall. It spreads out, making it look like a bushy plant.
What Does It Look Like?
The Calytrix purpurea is famous for its beautiful flowers. These flowers are purple and shaped like stars! They usually bloom, or open up, between September and December. This is springtime in Western Australia.
Where Does It Grow?
You can find this plant along the west coast of the Mid West region of Western Australia. It likes to grow in sandy areas. This includes sand plains, which are flat areas covered in sand, and sand dunes, which are hills made of sand. The plant grows well in sandy soils. Sometimes, these sandy soils are found over a type of rock called laterite.
How It Was Named
Scientists give every plant and animal a special two-part name. This helps everyone around the world know exactly which plant they are talking about.
First Discovery
The Calytrix purpurea was first officially described in 1859. A famous botanist (a scientist who studies plants) named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it its first name. He called it Lhotzkya purpurea. He wrote about it in his book called Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
A New Name
Later, in 1987, another botanist named Lyndley Craven studied the plant again. He decided that it fit better into a different group of plants. So, he reclassified it into the Calytrix group. He wrote about this change in a science journal called Brunonia. That's how it got its current name, Calytrix purpurea.
