Gland flower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gland flower |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Adenanthos
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| Species: |
macropodianus
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Adenanthos macropodianus, often called the gland flower or Kangaroo Island gland flower, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the plant family called Proteaceae. This plant only grows on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It was first described in 1870 as a variety of another plant. But in 1978, scientists decided it was special enough to be its own unique species.
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What Does the Gland Flower Look Like?
The Kangaroo Island gland flower usually grows upright. It is often about 1 metre (3 feet) tall. However, some plants have been found to be as tall as 3 metres (10 feet)!
Its leaves are silvery and can be up to 15 millimetres (0.6 inches) long. They are deeply divided into many soft, hairy parts. The flowers can be pink, red, or sometimes yellow. You can see them blooming throughout the entire year.
How Scientists Named and Classified This Plant
Scientists use a system called taxonomy to name and group all living things. This helps them understand how different plants are related to each other.
Early plant collectors like Ferdinand von Mueller and Frederick George Waterhouse found this plant. Mueller thought it was a new species. But another scientist, George Bentham, thought it was just a variety of a plant called A. sericea. In 1870, Bentham published it as A. sericea var. brevifolia.
Bentham placed this plant in a group called A. sect. Stenolaema. This was because its flower tube is straight. Today, this group is called A. sect. Adenanthos.
In the 1970s, a scientist named Ernest Charles Nelson studied why many plants grow in different places far apart. The Kangaroo Island plant was found far from other A. sericea plants. Nelson decided to look closely at all Adenanthos plants. He realized that the Kangaroo Island variety was different enough to be its own species. Its leaves were much smaller than the Western Australian A. sericea.
In 1978, Nelson officially named it Adenanthos macropodiana. The name macropodiana comes from Macropus, which is the scientific name for kangaroos. This name was chosen because the plant is only found on Kangaroo Island.
Later, the rules for naming plants changed. All plant names ending in -anthos had to be treated as masculine. So, the name became Adenanthos macropodianus.
Where the Gland Flower Grows
This plant is only found on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. It is one of only two Adenanthos species that grow outside of Western Australia.
It likes to grow in sandy soils. You can often find it among tall scrub plants. Other plants that grow near it include different types of Eucalyptus trees, Banksia ornata, and Banksia marginata. It is said to be very common in Flinders Chase National Park.
Growing Gland Flowers
In 1988, this plant was not commonly grown in gardens. People thought it might be good for gardens near the coast because it can handle salt spray.
Today, you can find some of these plants growing in the Wittunga Botanic Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in Australia.
