Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Hakea |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
H. l. subsp. sericipes
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| Trinomial name | |
| Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes W.R.Barker
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Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes is a special type of plant. It's a small tree or a large bush. It has cool, cylinder-shaped leaves. You can find it in parts of New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. This plant also grows beautiful clusters of white, sweet-smelling flowers.
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What Does It Look Like?
Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes can grow in different ways. It might be a small tree up to 5 meters (about 16 feet) tall. Or, it could be a bushy plant about 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) high. It often has straight, stiff branches. The bark on its trunk is usually grey.
Its leaves are long and thin, like needles. They are a pretty silver-grey color. Each leaf can be 2 to 9 centimeters (about 1 to 3.5 inches) long. They are very narrow, only about 1 to 2 millimeters wide. The tip of each leaf is sharp. When the leaves first grow, they have soft, white hairs. These hairs disappear as the leaves get older.
Flowers and Fruit
This plant produces many flowers in a cluster. Each cluster can have 18 to 45 flowers. They are usually yellow or creamy-white. The flowers have a lovely scent. They grow on a small stem that is about 6 to 14 millimeters long. This stem is covered in soft, white hairs.
After the flowers, the plant grows interesting fruits. These fruits are smooth and shaped like an egg. They are about 25 millimeters (1 inch) long and 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) wide. Each fruit has a wide, beak-like tip. The plant usually flowers in late spring and early summer, from November to December.
Plant Names and History
Every plant has a scientific name. This helps scientists around the world know exactly which plant they are talking about. The name Hakea leucoptera was first given in 1810. A botanist named Robert Brown described it.
Later, in 1996, another scientist named William Barker looked closer at this plant. He found that there were two slightly different types, or subspecies. One of them is sericipes, which we are learning about now.
Meaning of the Name
The word sericipes comes from two old Latin words. "Sericeus" means "silken" and "pes" means "a foot." This name probably describes the silky hairs found on the flower stems.
Where Does It Grow?
You can find Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes in several parts of Australia. It often grows in coarse, heavy soils. In New South Wales, it is found west of the Great Dividing Range. It can grow as a single tree or in thick groups of bushes.
It also grows in southern and central Queensland. You can also find it in the drier, central areas of Western Australia.
