Cookwood oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cookwood oak |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hakea
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| Species: |
fraseri
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The Corkwood Oak (Hakea fraseri) is a special type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. You can only find it growing naturally in northern New South Wales, Australia. This plant is known for its rough, grooved bark and its leaves that hang down. In spring, it produces beautiful creamy-white flowers.
Contents
What the Corkwood Oak Looks Like
The Corkwood Oak is a shrub or small tree that can grow from 1 m (3 ft 3 in) to 6 m (20 ft) tall. It often has many stems. Its bark is dark grey and rough, with deep grooves. This plant does not have a special underground woody swelling called a lignotuber.
Branches and Leaves
The younger branches of the Corkwood Oak are a whitish color. They are covered with soft, flat hairs. New shoots have shiny, rusty-colored hairs over white, glossy hairs. The leaves are simple and hang down, giving the plant a weeping look. They are 11–30 cm (4.3–11.8 in) long and about 0.9–1.4 mm (0.035–0.055 in) wide. The leaves are mostly smooth and have a small hook at the end.
Flowers and Fruit
The Corkwood Oak's flowers are creamy-white. They grow in groups of 25 to 50 flowers. These groups appear where the leaves meet the stem. Each group of flowers grows on a stalk 9–25 mm (0.35–0.98 in) long. This stalk is covered with reddish-brown, short, matted hairs. The individual flower stalks, called pedicels, are 3.5–8 mm (0.14–0.31 in) long. They are thickly covered with flat hairs. These hairs also cover the creamy-white flower parts, called the perianth, when the bud is closed. The central part of the flower, the pistil, is 17–26 mm (0.67–1.02 in) long.
After flowering, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is shaped like a narrow egg. It is 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) long and 11–17 mm (0.43–0.67 in) wide. It has a long, not very clear, beak-like tip. The Corkwood Oak usually flowers in spring.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1830. A famous botanist named Robert Brown wrote about it. His description was published in a book called Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae.
The second part of the plant's scientific name, fraseri, honors a person. It is named after Charles Fraser. He was the very first colonial botanist and the leader of the botanic gardens in New South Wales.
Where the Corkwood Oak Lives
The Corkwood Oak is a rare plant species. It is found only in a specific area of New South Wales. You can find it in the New England Tablelands region. It grows below several famous waterfalls like Wollomombi, Dangar, Tia, and Apsley Falls. It prefers steep slopes and rocky areas inside gorges.
