Darwinia camptostylis facts for kids

Darwinia camptostylis is a special plant that belongs to the Myrtaceae family, also known as the myrtle family. You can only find this plant growing naturally in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. It's a small shrub with flat, smooth leaves and pretty clusters of green to yellow flowers. These plants often grow in sandy, open areas called heath near the coast.

What it Looks Like

Darwinia camptostylis is a small, bushy shrub. It can grow straight up or spread out. This plant usually reaches a height of less than 30 cm (about 12 inches). Its leaves are packed closely together, especially near the tips of the branches. These leaves are flat or shaped like a triangle when you look at them from the side. They are about 6 to 12 mm (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long and very thin, less than 1 mm wide.

The flowers grow in small groups near the ends of the branches. You'll usually see two to four pairs of flowers together. Each flower group sits on a very short stalk, less than 1 mm long. When the flowers first open, they look like tiny tubes. They are surrounded by leaf-like parts called bracts. There are also two yellowish-green, spear-shaped parts called bracteoles. These bracteoles are about 3.5 to 6 mm (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. They surround the base of the flower, which is called the floral cup. The floral cup is also 3.5 to 6 mm long and is white, sometimes with a red tip.

The flower's petals are shaped like an egg and are about 2 mm (0.08 inches) long. They surround the stamens (the parts that make pollen) and the bottom of the style. The style is a white, curved stalk that is 2.5 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. This plant usually flowers between August and November. After flowering, it produces a small, dry fruit that looks like a nut.

How it Got its Name

The first official description of Darwinia camptostylis was written by a scientist named Barbara Briggs. She published her description in 1962. It appeared in a scientific paper called Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium.

Where it Grows

This type of darwinia plant is found in areas along the coast. You can see it in southern New South Wales and the far eastern part of Victoria. It likes to grow in open, sandy areas called heath or in woodlands where heath plants are also found.

Looking After it

In Victoria, Darwinia camptostylis is considered a rare plant. This means there are not many of them left in the wild, and they need to be protected.