Goodenia claytoniacea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goodenia claytoniacea |
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| In Pemberton | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Goodenia
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| Species: |
claytoniacea
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Goodenia claytoniacea is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Goodeniaceae family. You can only find this plant in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's an annual herb, which means it grows, flowers, and dies within one year. This plant has long, narrow leaves, usually found near its base. It produces pretty yellow flowers, either one by one or in small groups. After flowering, it grows small, oval-shaped fruits.
What Does It Look Like?
Goodenia claytoniacea is a small plant that stands up straight. It usually grows to about 240 mm (9.4 in) tall.
- Its leaves are shaped like a spear or a narrow egg, wider at one end and tapering to a point. Most of these leaves grow at the bottom of the plant. They are typically 20–60 mm (0.79–2.36 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide.
- The yellow flowers grow either alone or in small clusters. They are found on a special stalk called a peduncle, which can be 20–100 mm (0.79–3.94 in) long.
- At the base of each flower stalk, there are small, leaf-like parts called bracteoles. These are 4–15 mm (0.16–0.59 in) long.
- Each flower sits on a short stem called a pedicel, about 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) long.
- The green parts that protect the flower bud, called sepals, are about 1 mm (0.039 in) long.
- The bright yellow flower petals, known as the corolla, are 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long. The lower parts of the petals are 2–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) long and have small "wings" that are 1.2–1.4 mm (0.047–0.055 in) wide.
- This plant usually flowers from October to February.
- After the flowers, it produces an oval-shaped fruit called a capsule, which is about 5 mm (0.20 in) long.
How It Got Its Name
Goodenia claytoniacea was first officially described in 1868. A scientist named George Bentham wrote about it in a book called Flora Australiensis. He used notes from another scientist, Ferdinand von Mueller.
- It seems that Bentham might have misread von Mueller's handwriting. He first wrote the name as G. laytoniana.
- The second part of the plant's name, claytoniacea, suggests it looks a bit like plants from a different group called Claytonia.
Where It Lives
This type of goodenia plant likes to grow in sandy soil. You can often find it in swampy areas. It lives in the Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain, and Warren regions. All these places are in the south-west part of Western Australia.
Its Protection Status
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants and animals. They have looked at Goodenia claytoniacea.
- They have officially said that this plant is "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
