Goodenia glandulosa facts for kids

Goodenia glandulosa is a type of flowering plant found only in Australia. It belongs to a plant family called Goodeniaceae. This plant grows in dry, inland areas of the country. It is a tall, long-lasting herb with thin, pointed leaves and bright yellow flowers.

What Does Goodenia glandulosa Look Like?

Goodenia glandulosa is a tall plant that lives for many years. It usually grows up to 50 cm (20 in) (about 20 inches) tall. Its stems and leaves can be hairy or have small scales.

The leaves are thin and shaped like a spear, wider at the base and narrower at the tip. They are about 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide. When the plant is young, its leaves might have small lobes or divisions.

The yellow flowers grow in long clusters called racemes, which can be up to 230 mm (9.1 in) (about 9 inches) long. At the base of each flower cluster are small, leaf-like parts called bracts. Each flower sits on a short stalk called a pedicel, which is about 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long.

The flower has small, egg-shaped sepals that are about 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long. The main part of the flower, called the corolla, is yellow and measures about 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) long. The lower parts of the corolla have lobes that are about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long, with small wings about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide.

This plant mainly flowers from July to October. After flowering, it produces a round fruit called a capsule. These capsules are about 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) across.

How Was Goodenia glandulosa Named?

The plant Goodenia glandulosa was officially described in 1912. It was named by a scientist named Kurt Krause. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Das Pflanzenreich.

The second part of its name, glandulosa, means "gland-bearing." This refers to the tiny, sticky hairs on the plant's leaves and stems. These hairs are like small glands.

Where Does Goodenia glandulosa Grow?

This goodenia plant likes dry, inland areas of Australia. You can often find it growing on rocky hillsides in Western Australia and South Australia. However, in some parts of the Northern Territory, it prefers to grow on sand dunes.

Is Goodenia glandulosa Endangered?

The conservation status of a plant tells us if it's at risk of disappearing. In Western Australia, the government's Department of Parks and Wildlife says Goodenia glandulosa is "not threatened." This means it's not currently in danger there.

However, in the Northern Territory, it is listed as "near threatened." This means it could become threatened in the future if things don't change.