Granitites facts for kids

Granitites intangendus is a unique type of flowering plant. It grows only in Western Australia. You can find it on granite rocks in dry, semi-desert areas. These areas are mainly in the midwest and south of the state.

About Granitites intangendus

Granitites intangendus is the only plant in its group, called a genus. This genus is named Granitites, which comes from the word "granite." This is because the plant loves to grow on granite rocks. It belongs to the plant family Rhamnaceae.

An Ancient Plant

This plant looks a lot like another group of trees called Alphitonia. Those trees grow in tropical parts of Australia, far away. This similarity suggests that Granitites intangendus is a very old species. It might have survived big climate changes. Its family tree could go back about 20 million years. Back then, tropical plants grew all over the southern part of Australia.

What it Looks Like

This shrub can grow in two ways. It can be low and spread out, only about 0.1 meters (4 inches) tall. Or, it can stand upright, reaching up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall. It has spiky little branches.

Its leaves are small and grow one after another along the stem. They can be smooth-edged or have tiny teeth. The leaves are often long and thin, or wider at the bottom. They might have tiny hairs and veins that branch out. The edges of the leaves are often rolled inwards.

The flowers are usually white. The outer parts of the flower (calyx and corolla) can also be white or a light pink color. These small flowers grow in clusters on fairly long stalks.

The fruit of the plant is called a schizocarp. This means it's a dry fruit that splits open when it's ripe. It divides into separate little capsules, each holding a single seed.

Where it Lives

You can find Granitites intangendus growing in sandy soils. It lives on granite outcrops, which are rocky areas. These places are found east of Kalgoorlie. It also grows in the Avon Wheatbelt and Mallee regions. These areas are in the southern and eastern parts of Western Australia. Some plants have been seen at The Humps near Hyden.

How it Was Discovered

The first official description of the Granitites genus was made by a scientist named Barbara Rye. She wrote about it in a science journal called Nuytsia in 1996.

Barbara Rye looked at plant samples collected a long time ago. These samples were gathered at Fraser's Range and Esperance Bay about 120 years before her description. Another scientist, Ferdinand von Mueller, had first described these samples. He thought they were a type of Pomaderris plant.