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Franklandia
Franklandia fucifolia (8696023150).jpg
Franklandia fucifolia
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Subfamily: Proteoideae
Genus: Franklandia
R.Br.

Franklandia is a group of small shrubs. They belong to the plant family Proteaceae. These plants are often called lanolin bushes because of their slightly waxy feel. You can only find them growing naturally in Southwest Australia.

What are Franklandia Plants Like?

Franklandia plants are small shrubs that grow in sandy areas. These areas often have white or grey sand. A special part of the plant, called a lignotuber, helps them survive. This lignotuber is a woody swelling at the base of the stem. It allows the plant to grow back after a bushfire.

Several straight branches grow from the main stem. The flowers are medium to large in size. Each flower has four parts. Their colors can be creamy, white, golden, or red. The outer parts of the flower look like petals. Many flowers grow together in a cluster called a raceme. This cluster sits on a long stalk called a scape. Inside the flower tube, you'll find the anthers. This is a key feature that helps tell Franklandia apart from other plants in the Proteaceae family.

The leaves of Franklandia plants are thick or leathery. They are smooth and large, with a bluish-green color. Their shape is narrow and they get thinner towards the end. The tips of the leaves split into two parts many times. The leaves also have small holes inside, which makes them feel a bit rough.

Different Types of Franklandia

There are two main types, or species, of Franklandia plants.

Franklandia fucifolia

The first type, Franklandia fucifolia, was officially described in 1810. A famous botanist named Robert Brown named the genus after another botanist, Thomas Frankland. Robert Brown found flowering plants and seeds in 1801. He found them "In moist heaths near the shores" of King George Sound.

You can find Franklandia fucifolia in the southern parts of Western Australia. It grows along the coast, stretching east to the Esperance Plains. Sometimes, this plant grows on sand that sits over a type of rock called laterite. These shrubs usually grow to be between 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) and 1.3 meters (about 4 feet) tall. They have a long flowering season, blooming from January all the way to October.

Franklandia triaristata

The second type, Franklandia triaristata, was described later in 1870 by George Bentham. This species is much rarer than F. fucifolia. It grows in a smaller area in the very southwestern corner of Western Australia.

Franklandia triaristata is a smaller shrub. It usually grows up to one meter (about 3 feet) tall. Its flowering season is shorter, lasting from August to October.

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