Plume smokebush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plume smokebush |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Conospermum
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| Species: |
incurvum
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The plume smokebush (scientific name: Conospermum incurvum) is a type of shrub. It is found only in Western Australia. This plant is also known as a "smokebush" because its flowers can look like puffs of smoke.
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What the Plume Smokebush Looks Like
The plume smokebush is a low-growing shrub. It has many thin stems that spread out along the ground. These stems are covered with slender, pointed leaves. The leaves are usually between 7 and 30 millimeters long. They are very narrow, about 0.5 to 0.8 millimeters wide.
Even though the plant grows low, its flower stalks stand tall. These stalks can reach up to one meter (about 3 feet) in height. The plant produces many clusters of white, woolly flowers. These flowers are shaped like tubes and are about 6 millimeters long. They bloom from winter to spring. The flowers grow in long, branched groups called panicles. Scientists are currently studying compounds from this plant. They hope to find new medicines from them.
How the Plume Smokebush Was Named
The plume smokebush was first described in 1839. A botanist named John Lindley wrote about it in his book, A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony. Since then, its scientific name has stayed the same. It has not had any other names or major changes in its classification.
In 1995, another botanist, Eleanor Bennett, studied the Conospermum group of plants. She placed Conospermum incurvum into a specific subgroup. A plant that is closely related to the plume smokebush is Conospermum brachyphyllum. You can tell them apart by looking at their leaves. The plume smokebush has leaves that are more tightly packed together.
Where the Plume Smokebush Grows
The plume smokebush grows in sandy areas. These areas are often gently rolling plains. The sand can be white, grey, or yellow-brown. It usually grows over a type of rock called laterite. You can find this plant from Eneabba in the north down to Perth. This means it mostly lives in the Swan Coastal Plain and Geraldton Sandplains regions.
There are also some smaller groups of these plants in other areas. These include the Avon Wheatbelt and Jarrah Forest regions. A single group has also been found in the Esperance Plains region, north of Albany.
Conservation Status
The plume smokebush is not considered to be an endangered plant. Its populations are stable.
