Hakea chromatropa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hakea chromatropa |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hakea
|
| Species: |
chromatropa
|
Hakea chromatropa is a special kind of shrub that grows only in Southwest Australia. You can find it mostly around a place called Wongan Hills. It likes to grow in open areas where the soil is gravelly and loamy. Its flowers start out white or creamy, then change to a pretty pink color as they get older. They don't have any scent.
Contents
About the Hakea Shrub
Hakea chromatropa is a bushy shrub that can grow up to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) tall. It can also spread out to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) wide. It has bark that is finely cracked, which means it has tiny grooves. This plant does not have a lignotuber, which is a woody swelling at the base that helps some plants regrow after a fire.
Leaves and Branches
The small branches of this shrub are covered with tiny, tangled hairs. They also have longer, simple hairs. The leaves are a mid-green color and are quite stiff. They are shaped like an egg, about 18 to 55 millimeters (0.7 to 2.2 inches) long and 8 to 20 millimeters (0.3 to 0.8 inches) wide. The leaves get narrower as they get closer to the stem.
The edges of the leaves have small "teeth" that get wider towards the tip. Each leaf can have 1 to 5 teeth, or sometimes no teeth at all. The very end of each leaf has a stiff, sharp point.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Hakea chromatropa grow in the leaf axils, which are the spots where the leaves join the stem. These flower clusters are called inflorescences. Each flower has a stalk that is 4 to 7 millimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) long and covered in soft white hairs.
Small, egg-shaped bracts surround the flower heads. Bracts are like small, modified leaves. Each flower cluster has 20 to 26 flowers. These flowers are creamy-white at first and don't have a smell. But as they get older, they turn a deep pink color.
The fruit of the plant is broadly egg-shaped and is larger on the bottom side. It is about 20 to 24 millimeters (0.8 to 0.9 inches) long and 10 to 13 millimeters (0.4 to 0.5 inches) wide. The surface of the fruit is covered with small, corky, pyramid-shaped bumps. This shrub usually flowers between July and early October.
How it Got its Name
Hakea chromatropa was officially described in 2007 by two scientists, Alex George and Robyn Mary Barker. They published their findings in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of its name, chromatropa, comes from ancient Greek words. Chroma means "color," and trope means "a turn" or "a turning." This name refers to how the flowers change color as they get older. They "turn" from white to pink!
When Alex George and Robyn Barker first described the plant from dried samples in 2006, they noted that it had no scent. However, in a television interview, Alex George later said that Hakea chromatropa "has a lovely scent like vanilla." So, there might be a little mystery about its smell!
Where it Grows
Hakea chromatropa is found in only a few specific places in Western Australia. These areas are in the northern part of the Jarrah Forest and the northwestern part of the Avon Wheatbelt.
It grows in open shrubland, which means areas with low-growing shrubs. It often grows alongside scattered mallee (a type of eucalyptus tree that grows multiple stems from a woody base) and wandoo eucalyptus trees. It prefers soil that is gravelly and loamy. The scientists first described this plant from flowering samples they collected in 2006.
Protecting the Hakea Shrub
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife lists Hakea chromatropa as "Priority One." This means it's a very important plant to protect.
Being "Priority One" means that the plant is known from only one or a few locations. These locations could be at risk, perhaps from development or other changes. Because it's so rare and special, efforts are made to protect its habitat and ensure it continues to thrive.
