Camel bush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camel bush
Scientific classification
Genus:	Trichodesma
Species:	zeylanicum

Trichodesma zeylanicum, also known as camel bush or cattle bush, is a plant that grows in Australia. It can be a small herb or a larger shrub.

What it Looks Like

This plant grows straight up and can reach about two meters (that's over 6 feet) tall! It has a strong main root called a taproot that helps it get water from deep in the ground. The flowers are usually a pretty blue color, but sometimes they can be white.

Naming the Plant

Plants get their scientific names from botanists, who are scientists who study plants. This plant was first described in 1768 by a scientist named Nicolaas Laurens Burman. He gave it the name Borago zeylanica.

Later, in 1810, another famous botanist named Robert Brown moved it into a different group of plants called Trichodesma. This is why its full scientific name today is Trichodesma zeylanicum. Even though other scientists tried to change its name again later, Robert Brown's name for it is still the one we use.

Different Types

There are three main types, or varieties, of Trichodesma zeylanicum:

• T. zeylanicum var. grandiflorum
• T. zeylanicum var. latisepalum
• T. zeylanicum var. zeylanicum

Where it Grows

You can find Trichodesma zeylanicum in many parts of Australia. It grows in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales.

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