Grevillea yorkrakinensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grevillea yorkrakinensis |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Grevillea
|
| Species: |
yorkrakinensis
|
The Grevillea yorkrakinensis is a special type of shrub that belongs to the Grevillea family. It's a plant that grows naturally only in Western Australia.
Contents
Meet the Yorkrakine Grevillea
This amazing shrub is quite small and bushy. It usually grows to be about 0.2 to 0.4 meters (which is about 0.7 to 1.3 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth and don't have a waxy coating.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the Grevillea yorkrakinensis are flat and long, like thin lines. They are usually between 5 to 15 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.6 inches) long and only about 0.5 millimeters (0.02 inches) wide.
This plant puts on a beautiful show of flowers between May and October. Its flowers grow in clusters along the branches. They are often bright orange or red, with parts called "styles" that can be green or pink.
Life Cycle and Fruit
After the flowers bloom, the plant forms interesting fruits. These fruits are oval-shaped and have ridges or ribs, almost like tiny melons. They are also a bit hairy and grow to be about 7 to 11 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long. Inside these fruits are the seeds, ready to start new plants.
Where Does It Grow?
The Grevillea yorkrakinensis is an endemic plant. This means it's found only in a specific part of the world. For this shrub, that special place is in the southeastern Wheatbelt and western Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia.
Its Favorite Spots
You can often find this plant growing on sandy plains. It especially likes to be near or on top of granite rocks. It thrives in sandy soils, or soils that are a mix of sand, loam, and clay, sometimes with gravel.
Its Home Range
The Grevillea yorkrakinensis is spread out across a wide area. It can be found from places like Mount Gibson and Wubin in the north, all the way down to Hyden and Southern Cross in the south. It's an important part of the shrubland and mallee heath plant communities in these areas.
How We Learned About It
This plant was first officially described by a botanist named Charles Austin Gardner. He wrote about it in 1923. He had collected a sample of the plant near a place called Yorkrakine in 1922. This sample helped scientists understand and name the species.
