Goodenia brachypoda facts for kids
Goodenia brachypoda is a special kind of flowering plant that grows only in northern Australia. It's a small plant, often growing close to the ground, but it can also stand up a bit taller. It has narrow leaves and bright yellow flowers that grow in clusters. After the flowers, it produces small, round fruits.
Quick facts for kids Goodenia brachypoda |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Goodenia
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| Species: |
brachypoda
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| Synonyms | |
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Goodenia sepalosa var. brachypoda Benth. |
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What This Plant Looks Like
Goodenia brachypoda is a small plant that can grow low to the ground or stand up to about 250 millimeters (about 10 inches) tall. Its leaves are narrow and shaped like an oval, with slightly uneven edges. They are usually about 20 to 50 millimeters long and 4 to 13 millimeters wide. The whole plant is covered with soft hairs.
The bright yellow flowers grow in groups called racemes, which can be up to 150 millimeters long. Each flower sits on a small stalk, called a pedicel, which is 2 to 7 millimeters long. At the bottom of these flower stalks, there are small, leaf-like parts called bracts. The green parts that protect the flower bud, called sepals, are thin and about 3.5 to 4 millimeters long. The yellow petals, which form the corolla, are 9 to 15 millimeters long. The lower parts of the petals are about 3.5 to 4 millimeters long and have small, thin edges called wings.
This plant usually flowers from July to September. After flowering, it produces a round fruit, which is a type of seed pod called a capsule, about 3.5 millimeters across.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1868 by a scientist named George Bentham. He gave it the name Goodenia sepalosa var. brachypoda. He used notes from another scientist, Ferdinand von Mueller. Later, in 1990, Carolin decided that this plant was unique enough to be its own species, so he changed its name to G. brachypoda.
The second part of its name, brachypoda, means "short-footed". This refers to the short stalks (called peduncles) that hold the flowers.
Where it Grows
Goodenia brachypoda is found only in northern Australia. It grows in specific areas of northern Western Australia, including the Northern Kimberley, Victoria Bonaparte, and Ord Victoria Plain regions. You can also find it in the north-west part of the Northern Territory.
Is it Protected?
In Western Australia, Goodenia brachypoda is listed as "Priority One" by the Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that the plant is only found in a few places, and these places might be at risk. However, in the Northern Territory, it is considered of "least concern" under their conservation laws, meaning it's not currently at high risk there.
