Goodenia brunnea facts for kids

Goodenia brunnea is a special kind of flowering plant. It's a shrub, which is a woody plant smaller than a tree. You can find it only in Central Australia. This plant has sticky leaves and bright yellow flowers that grow in clusters. It belongs to the Goodeniaceae family.

What Does Goodenia brunnea Look Like?

Goodenia brunnea is a shrub that usually stands upright or grows upwards. It can reach a height of about 0.8 meters (which is almost 3 feet). Its leaves are sticky because they are covered in tiny, sticky hairs called glandular hairs.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are shaped like a spear (lance-shaped) or like a small harp (lyre-shaped). They are about 30 to 60 millimeters long (1 to 2.5 inches) and 10 to 20 millimeters wide (about half an inch). Each leaf has a stem called a petiole, which can be up to 30 millimeters long. The edges of the leaves are also a bit toothed.

The bright yellow flowers grow in long clusters. These clusters can be up to 250 millimeters long (about 10 inches). Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, which is 5 to 10 millimeters long. At the base of each flower's stalk, there are tiny, spear-shaped leaves called bracteoles.

Flower Parts and Fruit

The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the flower bud, are also spear-shaped and about 4 to 5 millimeters long. The yellow petals of the flower can be up to 20 millimeters long. The lower parts of the flower's petals are about 9 millimeters long and have small "wings" that are about 2.5 millimeters wide. These wings also have toothed edges.

Goodenia brunnea usually blooms from June to November. After the flowers, the plant produces an oval-shaped fruit called a capsule. This capsule is about 10 millimeters long and has toothed edges.

How Goodenia brunnea Got Its Name

This plant was officially described and named in 1992. A scientist named Roger Charles Carolin gave it its formal description. He wrote about it in a book series called Flora of Australia, after studying plant samples collected in 1957.

Where Does Goodenia brunnea Live?

You can find Goodenia brunnea growing in rocky areas. It also likes to grow near watercourses, which are places where water flows, like small streams or rivers. It lives in the far north-west part of South Australia and the far south-west part of the Northern Territory.