Cleome oxalidea facts for kids

Cleome oxalidea is a unique plant found in Western Australia. It belongs to the Cleomaceae family. This plant is a type of herb, which means it has soft stems instead of woody ones.

What is Cleome oxalidea?

Cleome oxalidea is an annual or ephemeral herb. This means it lives for only one year or a very short time. It often grows in a "rosetted" way. This means its leaves spread out in a circle close to the ground, like the petals of a rose.

Size and Flowers

This small plant usually grows to be about 5 to 30 centimeters (2 to 12 inches) tall. It produces beautiful flowers that are blue, pink, or purple. You can see these flowers blooming for a long time, from January all the way through September.

Where Does it Live?

You can find Cleome oxalidea in several parts of Western Australia. It grows in regions like the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance, and Mid West.

Its Favorite Soil

This plant likes to grow in a special kind of soil. It prefers "stony sandy-loam alluvium." This means it grows well in soil that is a mix of sand and clay, often with small stones. This type of soil is usually found in areas where rivers have deposited sediment, like floodplains.

How It Makes Food

Cleome oxalidea has a very special way of making its food. It uses something called C₄ photosynthesis.

What is C4 Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is how plants use sunlight to make their food. C₄ photosynthesis is a super-efficient way for plants to do this. It helps them grow well, especially in hot and dry places. It's like a special superpower for making food!

A Unique Evolution

What's really interesting is that Cleome oxalidea developed this C₄ photosynthesis method all on its own. It evolved independently from two other Cleome species, C. angustifolia and C. gynandra, which also use C₄ photosynthesis. This shows how nature can find similar solutions in different ways!