Dicrastylis verticillata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dicrastylis verticillata |
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Dicrastylis verticillata is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to a group of plants called Dicrastylis, which is part of the Lamiaceae family. You can find this plant growing in South Australia and New South Wales.
About the Plant
Dicrastylis verticillata is a shrub that spreads out. It usually grows to be about 25 to 65 centimeters (10 to 25 inches) tall. This plant likes to grow in sandy soil. You can often spot it on flat, sandy areas or along the sides of roads.
What it Looks Like
The stems of this plant are mostly round. They are covered with thick, white, tangled hairs. The leaves are attached directly to the stem, meaning they don't have their own little stalks. They grow in pairs, one across from the other. The edges of the leaves are smooth, not jagged.
Each leaf is about 7 to 22 millimeters (0.3 to 0.9 inches) long and 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) wide. The top side of the leaves looks a bit wrinkled and has soft hairs. The bottom side is grey because it's covered in lots of dense, tangled hairs.
The Flowers
The flowers grow in clusters at the very end of the stems. These flower clusters are called inflorescences. Small leaf-like parts called bracts are found near the flowers; they are about 4 to 8 millimeters long.
Each flower has a stalk that is 2 to 4.5 millimeters long. These stalks have special hairs that look like tiny trees or scales. The calyx, which is the green part that protects the flower bud, has five separate parts. These parts are about 3 to 4 millimeters long.
The actual flower petals, called the corolla, are white or a light purple color. They are about 5 to 7 millimeters long. Inside the flower, there are five stamens (the parts that make pollen) that stick out. This plant usually blooms during spring and summer.
Plant Names and History
Every plant has a scientific name, and Dicrastylis verticillata is no exception. This plant was first officially described by a scientist named John McConnell Black in 1918. When a plant is described, it means it's given its unique scientific name and details about it are written down. For this plant, there are no other scientific names that are commonly used.
