Fragrant zieria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fragrant zieria |
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| Zieria odorifera growing near Invergowrie | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Zieria
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| Species: |
odorifera
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The Zieria odorifera, often called the fragrant zieria, is a unique plant from the citrus family called Rutaceae. It grows only in inland New South Wales, Australia. This plant is a shrub that smells nice. It has branches with ridges and leaves made of three small parts called leaflets. In spring, you can see groups of pale to deep pink flowers, each with four petals.
What the Fragrant Zieria Looks Like
The fragrant zieria is a shrub that can grow up to about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its branches have ridges and are mostly smooth, meaning they don't have hairs. The leaves are made of three small, oval-shaped leaflets. The middle leaflet is usually about 5 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.12 inches) wide. The leaves have a short stalk called a petiole, which is about 0.5 to 2 millimeters (0.02 to 0.08 inches) long.
The leaflets are smooth, except when they are very young. The top side of the leaf is a darker green than the bottom. The flowers are pale to deep pink. They grow in groups of three or more where the leaves meet the stem, which is called the upper leaf axil. These flower groups are usually longer than the leaves. Each flower has four triangle-shaped sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud, about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long. It also has four petals, which are the colorful parts of the flower, about 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) long. The outside of the petals is covered with soft hairs, but the inside is smooth. Like other zieria plants, it only has four stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. This plant blooms in spring.
How it was Named
The Zieria odorifera was officially described in 2002 by a scientist named James Armstrong. He published his description in a scientific journal called Australian Systematic Botany. The plant he studied was found in the Warrumbungles. The second part of its scientific name, odorifera, is a Latin word that means "having a smell," which fits this fragrant plant perfectly!
In 2008, two other scientists, Marco Duretto and Paul Irwin Forster, found and described four different types, or subspecies, of Zieria odorifera. These subspecies are now officially recognized:
- Zieria odorifera subsp. copelandii: This type has petals that are completely smooth, without any hairs.
- Zieria odorifera subsp. odorifera: This type has hairy branches, but the hairs are not star-shaped. Its sepals are about 1 to 2 millimeters long, and its petals are hairy on the underside, usually about 4 to 4.5 millimeters long.
- Zieria odorifera subsp. warrabahensis: This type has hairy branches, and most of its hairs are star-shaped. Its sepals are about 1 millimeter long, and its petals are hairy on the underside.
- Zieria odorifera subsp. williamsii: This type has hairy branches, but the hairs are not star-shaped. Its sepals are about 1 to 2 millimeters long, and its petals are hairy on the underside, usually about 2 to 2.5 millimeters long.
Where it Grows
This fragrant zieria plant likes to grow in areas with low, shrubby plants called heath. You can often find it on rocky ridges and between rock outcrops. Each subspecies grows in slightly different places:
- Subspecies copelandii is only found in Mount Kaputar National Park in the Warrumbungles.
- Subspecies odorifera mainly grows in the Warrumbungle National Park.
- Subspecies warrabahensis is found in the Warrabah National Park.
- Subspecies williamsii grows in a few different spots between Cathedral Rock National Park and the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
