Glycocystis facts for kids

Glycocystis beckeri is a special kind of flowering plant. It is the only species in its group, called a genus, named Glycocystis. This plant belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family.

You can only find Glycocystis beckeri in the southwest part of Western Australia. It is a shrub that looks a bit like plants from the Eremophila and Myoporum groups. What makes it unique is that it makes a lot of very sticky, sweet-smelling resin. This resin comes from tiny raised bumps, called glands, that cover almost the whole plant. Scientists think this sticky resin might trap insects, which could help the plant get important nutrients like nitrogen.

What Glycocystis beckeri Looks Like

Glycocystis beckeri is a neat, rounded shrub. It can grow up to about 3 metres (10 feet) tall. Its branches have many raised glands that produce a lot of sticky, sweet-smelling resin. Sometimes, the branches look black because of a type of fungus that grows on them.

The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are usually 12 to 22 mm (about half an inch) long and 3.5 to 6.5 mm wide. They are shaped like a spear, wider in the middle and narrower at the base. The edges of the leaves are saw-toothed, and their surface is also covered with many small, raised resin glands.

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers of Glycocystis beckeri usually grow one by one, or sometimes in pairs. They appear where the leaves join the stem. Each flower sits on a small stalk that is 2 to 4 mm long. There are 5 narrow, pointed parts called sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the flower bud. These sepals also have glands, just like the branches and leaves.

The flower has 5 petals that are joined together at their bottom parts. This forms a bell-shaped tube. The petal tube is white, but inside the tube and on the lower part, it has yellow blotches. The tube is 4 to 7 mm long. There are 4 short stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. These stamens stick out a little bit from the petal tube.

Glycocystis beckeri flowers all year round, especially after it rains. After the flowers, the plant produces fruits. These fruits are dry and have wings when they are fully grown.

Plant Name and History

The plant Glycocystis beckeri was first officially described in 1859. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it the name Eremophila beckeri at that time. He found a sample collected by George Maxwell near the Phillips River.

The name Glycocystis comes from two old Greek words. "Glykýs" means "sweet," and "kýstis" means "a cyst" or "bladder." This name refers to the sweet-smelling resin that comes from the glands on the plant. The second part of the name, beckeri, honors an artist, naturalist, and explorer named Ludwig Becker.

Where Glycocystis beckeri Lives

You can find Glycocystis beckeri near a town called Ravensthorpe in Western Australia. It grows in areas known as the Esperance Plains and Mallee regions. This plant prefers to grow in pebbly clay soil that is rich in nutrients.

How Glycocystis beckeri Interacts with Nature

Scientists think that the large amount of sweet resin this plant makes might be a way to attract and trap insects. These trapped insects could then provide the plant with nitrogen. Nitrogen is a very important nutrient that plants need to grow. This idea is similar to how some plants, like those in the South African group Roridula, get nutrients from insects.

Protecting Glycocystis beckeri

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Glycocystis beckeri. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means the plant is not currently in danger of disappearing.