Diocirea ternata facts for kids

Diocirea ternata is a special plant that belongs to the figwort family. It grows only in a small area near Balladonia in Western Australia. This plant is a low-growing shrub. It might not be found in many places, but where it does grow, there can be thousands of them! They often form a thick carpet on the ground. You can easily tell this plant apart from its relatives because of how its leaves are arranged.

What Does Diocirea ternata Look Like?

Diocirea ternata is a type of shrub with many stems. It can grow up to about 0.8 meters (2.6 feet) tall. It can also spread out to be as wide as 1.7 meters (5.6 feet).

Leaves and Stems

The branches of this plant have many small, raised bumps. These bumps are called resin glands. They make the plant feel sticky. The leaves are arranged in groups of three around the stems. This is a very unique feature!

Most leaves are about 2.9 to 4.5 millimeters long. They are also about 1 to 2 millimeters wide. The leaves are shaped like an egg and come to a point. They are sticky because of the resin on them.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of Diocirea ternata grow one by one. They appear where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower does not have a stalk.

The flower has five green, egg-shaped parts called sepals. These sepals have tiny hairs on their edges. The petals are white, but sometimes they start out as a pale purple color. These petals are joined together to form a tube. This tube is about 2.5 to 3.0 millimeters long. The ends of the petals form small sections called lobes. These lobes are about 1.5 millimeters long.

The lobes have purple spots near the center of the flower. The petal tube is mostly smooth, meaning it has no hairs. Inside the flower, there are four stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen. They stick out a little bit from the petal tube.

After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit. This fruit is flat and oval-shaped. It is about 2 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide. The fruit has a hard, brown outer layer.

How Was Diocirea ternata Named?

The plant Diocirea ternata was officially described in 2007. A plant expert named Bob Chinnock gave it its formal description. He wrote about it in a book called Eremophila and allied genera: a monograph of the plant family Myoporaceae. He found a sample of this plant about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Balladonia.

The second part of its name, ternata, comes from the Latin word for "in threes." This name was chosen because of the plant's special leaves. They are arranged in groups of three around the stem.

Where Does Diocirea ternata Grow?

Diocirea ternata grows in a small area near Balladonia. This area is part of the Coolgardie region in Western Australia. It likes to grow in woodland areas. The soil it prefers is a mix of clay and loam.

Even though it only grows in a small area, there can be many, many plants there. In some places, they form a thick, continuous carpet on the ground. You can see thousands of these plants growing together!

Is Diocirea ternata Protected?

The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Diocirea ternata. They have decided that it is "not threatened." This means the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.