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Diplolaena drummondii facts for kids

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Diplolaena drummondii
Scientific classification

Diplolaena drummondii is a special Australian flowering plant. It is found only in Western Australia. This plant is a small, spreading shrub. It has thin, papery leaves that are shaped like an oval. Its flowers can be yellow, orange, or reddish. They bloom between July and November.

What Diplolaena drummondii Looks Like

Diplolaena drummondii is a small shrub that spreads out. It grows up to about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its leaves are thin and feel like paper. They are shaped like an oval or a long oval. Each leaf is about 20 to 50 millimeters (0.8 to 2 inches) long. The edges of the leaves are flat. They are narrow at the bottom and round at the top. A small stem, called a petiole, connects the leaf to the branch. This stem is about 5 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) long.

The top of the leaves has a few short, soft hairs. The underside has more hairs that look like tiny stars.

The flowerheads are about 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) wide. They have outer leaves called bracts. These bracts are green to reddish-brown and shaped like an egg or a narrow triangle. They are about 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) long and covered in soft, star-shaped hairs. The inner bracts are about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) long. They are narrow and long, also covered in soft, star-shaped hairs. These inner bracts slowly get narrower to a point.

The flower petals are light red and about 9 millimeters (0.35 inches) long. They have smooth, star-shaped hairs and also come to a point. The stamens, which are the parts that hold pollen, are red or yellow. They are about 25 millimeters (1 inch) long. Near their base, they have soft, weak, star-shaped hairs. This plant flowers from July to November.

How Diplolaena drummondii Got Its Name

The plant Diplolaena drummondii was first officially described in 1863. A scientist named George Bentham gave it a different name back then. He called it Diplolaena microcephala var. drummondii in his book, Flora Australiensis.

Later, in 1921, another scientist named Carl Hansen Ostenfeld changed its status. He decided it was a unique species on its own. So, he renamed it Diplolaena drummondii. This change was published in a science paper called Contributions to West Australian Botany, part III.

Where Diplolaena drummondii Lives

This plant grows in woodlands. You can find it near the towns of Mundaring and Collie. Both these places are in the Darling Range area of Western Australia.

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