Pointed centrolepis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pointed centrolepis |
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| Centrolepis aristata flower | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Centrolepis
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| Species: |
aristata
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The Pointed Centrolepis (scientific name: Centrolepis aristata) is a small plant. It's also known as pointed centrolepis. This plant belongs to the Restionaceae family. You can find it growing in southern parts of Australia.
Contents
What Does the Pointed Centrolepis Look Like?
This plant is a small, annual herb. It grows in a clump, like a tuft of grass. It usually reaches a height of about 2 to 20 centimeters (1 to 8 inches).
Plant Color and Leaves
The plant is a bright green color. After it flowers, it can turn a reddish shade. Its leaves are shiny and smooth. They are thin and pointed. Each leaf is usually about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long. They are also about 1.6 millimeters (0.06 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruit
The Pointed Centrolepis flowers between August and December. Its flower heads are flat and shaped like an oval. They are about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) wide. The flowers have a brown base. They also have two long leaf-like parts called bracts.
Between 6 and 22 flowers grow together. They form a cluster at the end of the stem. These flowers can be brown or yellowish. After the flowers, brown, oval-shaped fruits appear. These fruits hold small, soft seeds. The seeds are shaped like a spindle. They are very tiny, only about 0.6 to 0.8 millimeters (0.02 to 0.03 inches) long.
Who Named This Plant?
The Pointed Centrolepis was first officially described by a botanist named Robert Brown. Later, in 1817, Johann Jacob Roemer and Josef August Schultes also described it. They included it in their book called Systema Vegetabilium.
Where Does It Grow?
This plant grows in several parts of Australia. In Western Australia, you can find it in rocky areas. It also grows in places that get wet in winter. These areas include the Mid West, Wheatbelt, South West, Great Southern, and Goldfields-Esperance regions. It prefers damp, sandy-clay-loam soils that are over granite rock.
In South Australia, it grows along most of the southern coast. It is also found on the Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula. You can see it throughout the southeast. It grows as far north as the Flinders Ranges. The Pointed Centrolepis also lives in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
