Fitzgerald woollybush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fitzgerald woollybush |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Adenanthos
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| Species: |
dobagii
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The Adenanthos dobagii, also known as the Fitzgerald woollybush, is a small shrub from the Proteaceae plant family. It grows to about 50 cm (1.5 ft) tall. This plant has many small, silvery leaves and tiny pink or cream-colored flowers that are not very noticeable. You can only find it in a special area of southwestern Australia, specifically in the Fitzgerald River National Park on the south coast.
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What it Looks Like
The Fitzgerald woollybush is a small, open shrub that grows up to half a meter (about 1.5 feet) high. Its leaves are usually clustered together at the ends of its branches. These leaves are about 8 to 20 mm (0.3 to 0.8 in) long. They are deeply cut into thin, finger-like parts. Each leaf usually has three main sections, and the two outer sections often split again, making five parts in total. The leaves look silvery because they are covered in many tiny hairs.
The flowers of the Fitzgerald woollybush grow in groups of three at the ends of the branches. They are pale pink or cream and are only about 11 mm (0.4 in) long. This makes them the smallest flowers in their entire plant group!
This plant looks a lot like another species called A. flavidiflorus. However, the Fitzgerald woollybush has smaller flowers and does not have a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber.
How it Was Named
Scientists collected samples of the Fitzgerald woollybush in 1972 and 1973. An Irish botanist named Ernest Charles Nelson found them near Quoin Head in the Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia.
Nelson officially named and described the species in 1978. He chose the unique name dobagii from the first letters of the "Department of Biogeography and Geomorphology." This was the department at the Australian National University where Nelson did his research.
Where it Lives
The Fitzgerald woollybush is only found in Western Australia. It lives in a small area within the Fitzgerald River National Park, which is on the south coast of the state.
There is a large group of thousands of these plants spread over about 10 km (6 mi) between Telegraph Track and Quoin Head. You can also find some scattered plants along the coast between Quoin Head and Marshes Beach. In total, there are seven known groups of these plants, with about 125,000 plants altogether.
This plant grows in sandy soil in low-lying areas at the bottom of hills. It has been found in different types of plant communities. These include sandy heathlands, open areas with mallee trees, and low mixed shrublands. In these shrublands, it grows alongside plants like Allocasuarina humilis (Dwarf Sheoak), Isopogon trilobus (Three-lobed Conebush), and Melaleuca pulchella (Clawflower), often with sedges underneath.
Protecting the Plant
Because the Fitzgerald woollybush only grows in a very small area, it was officially listed as a rare plant in 1980. This gave it legal protection under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. Later, it was listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. This protection continued when the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 came into effect. It was even "rediscovered" in 1998, meaning scientists found more of it after thinking it might be gone.
The biggest danger to this plant is bushfires. Other possible threats include damage from maintaining tracks and a plant disease called dieback, which is caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi. The Fitzgerald woollybush is very sensitive to this disease.
Growing it at Home
The Fitzgerald woollybush is not usually grown in gardens. It is not considered a very showy plant for decoration. Some people have suggested that it might grow best in a built-up rockery, which is a garden area designed with rocks.
- Adenanthos dobagii — Fitzgerald Woollybush, Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Adenanthos dobagii para niños
