Fan-leaf hakea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fan-leaf hakea |
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| Hakea baxteri in the ANBG | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hakea
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| Species: |
baxteri
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Hakea baxteri, also known as the fan-leaf hakea, is a cool shrub that belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. It grows naturally in parts of Western Australia, especially in the Great Southern and Wheatbelt areas. This plant is special because of its unique fan-shaped leaves!
Contents
What Does Hakea baxteri Look Like?
The Hakea baxteri is a tall, upright shrub that can grow from 1–5 m (3–20 ft) high. It has smooth grey bark. Unlike some plants, it doesn't have a special woody swelling underground (called a lignotuber) that helps it regrow after a fire.
Its smaller branches and young leaves are covered in soft, rusty-colored hairs. As the plant gets older and starts to flower, these hairs disappear.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves are dark green and stiff. They are about 4–8 cm (2–3 in) long and 3–9 cm (1–4 in) wide. They have a cool fan shape with a jagged edge at the top and get narrower at the bottom.
The flowers are small, but they smell very strong! They are light red with a green style (which is part of the plant's reproductive system). These flowers grow in groups of 4 to 8. They appear on small stems in the leaf corners or on older branches. The tiny stalk holding each flower (called a pedicel) is about 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and covered in rusty-brown hairs. These hairs continue onto the flower's outer parts (called the perianth), which are about 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long.
Fruit and Seeds
After the flowers, large, round fruits grow. They have a slightly rough surface and a small, hooked beak. Hakeas are known for their hard, woody fruits. Each fruit pod holds two seeds, and each seed has a little wing to help it fly away in the wind!
How It Was Named
Hakea baxteri was first officially described in 1830 by a botanist named Robert Brown. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. He wrote about it in a book called Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae.
The plant was named after William Baxter, who was an English botanical collector in the 1800s. He traveled around collecting different types of plants.
Where Does Hakea baxteri Grow?
You can find Hakea baxteri growing in the Stirling Range National Park and nearby areas in Western Australia. It likes to grow in heathlands (areas with small shrubs) and mallee (a type of eucalyptus woodland). It prefers sandy-loam soil and gravel.
Conservation Status
The good news is that the Western Australian Government lists Hakea baxteri as "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
