Swamp goodenia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swamp goodenia |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Goodenia humilis growing in the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Goodenia
|
| Species: |
humilis
|
| Synonyms | |
The swamp goodenia (Goodenia humilis) is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Goodeniaceae family. This plant is found only in south-eastern Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area.
It is a weak, perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It has long, thin leaves, often shaped like a spear, mostly growing from the base. Its flowers are yellow or yellowish-brown and grow in clusters.
About the Swamp Goodenia
The swamp goodenia is a soft, perennial plant. It usually grows up to about 20 centimeters (8 inches) tall. Its leaves are long and narrow, sometimes wider at the base, and are mostly found at the bottom of the plant. These leaves are typically 4 to 10 centimeters (1.5 to 4 inches) long and 4 to 8 millimeters (0.15 to 0.3 inches) wide. Sometimes, the edges of the leaves have small teeth.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers grow in groups that are a bit longer than the leaves. Each flower has small, leaf-like parts called bracts, which are 5 to 14 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long. There are also tiny bracteoles, about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.15 inches) long.
Each flower sits on a short stalk called a pedicel, which is 5 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long. The flower has small, linear sepals, about 1.5 to 3 millimeters (0.06 to 0.1 inches) long. The petals are yellow or yellowish-brown and are 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. The lower parts of the petals are about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.15 to 0.2 inches) long and have small "wings" about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide.
The swamp goodenia usually flowers from November to March. After flowering, it produces an oval-shaped fruit. This fruit is a capsule, about 3 to 3.5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.14 inches) long.
Plant Name and History
The swamp goodenia was first officially described in 1810. A botanist named Robert Brown wrote about it in his book, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
The second part of its scientific name, humilis, comes from a Latin word. It means "low" or "small," which describes the plant's typical size.
Where It Grows
This goodenia plant likes wet places. You can find it in swamps and damp areas within woodlands and grasslands. It is common in the state of Victoria, Australia. It also grows in Tasmania, the far south-east of South Australia, and in New South Wales. In New South Wales, it is found south of Wapengo Lake.
