Enekbatus cryptandroides facts for kids

The Enekbatus cryptandroides is a special kind of shrub that grows only in Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area, so you won't find it naturally anywhere else in the world!

Meet the Enekbatus Shrub

This plant is a dense shrub, which means it grows thick and bushy. It usually reaches about 0.7 metres (2 ft) tall.

What Does It Look Like?

The Enekbatus cryptandroides is known for its pretty pink-white flowers. These flowers typically bloom during spring, from September to October.

This shrub shares some features with another plant called Enekbatus clavifolius. Both plants have ten stamens. Stamens are the parts of a flower that produce pollen. These stamens are arranged opposite to the sepals and petals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud.

The fruits of this plant are also interesting. They often have small bumps, which botanists call tuberculate. Inside the fruit, there are many smooth seeds. These seeds are partly covered by a thin, flaky layer.

Where Does It Grow?

You can find the Enekbatus cryptandroides in specific parts of Western Australia. It grows in the Mid West and Goldfields regions. This area stretches between the towns of Wiluna and east of Kalgoorlie. This shrub prefers to grow in soils that are a mix of sand and clay.

How Did It Get Its Name?

The Enekbatus cryptandroides has had a couple of different names over the years. It was first officially described in 1876 by a botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. At that time, he called it Baeckea cryptandroides.

Later, in 2010, two other scientists, Barbara Rye and Malcolm Trudgen, studied the plant more closely. They decided it was different enough to be placed in a new group, or genus, called Enekbatus. So, they reclassified it as Enekbatus cryptandroides. This new classification was published in a science journal called Nuytsia.