Jarnockmert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jarnockmert |
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| Hakea recurva in the Botanic Garden of Barcelona | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hakea
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| Species: |
recurva
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
The jarnockmert (scientific name: Hakea recurva) is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to the Hakea plant family. You can find it growing naturally in parts of Western Australia, especially in the Mid West, northern Wheatbelt, and Goldfields-Esperance areas.
What Does It Look Like?
The jarnockmert is usually a tall shrub or a small tree. It can grow anywhere from 1 to 6 metres (3 to 20 ft) tall. Its branches have many stems and are covered with fine, silky hairs when they are young. These hairs soon disappear, making the branches smooth.
This plant produces lovely, fragrant flowers. They are large and creamy-yellow, growing in clusters of 20 to 40 flowers where the leaves meet the stem. You can see these flowers from June to October.
The leaves of the jarnockmert are stiff and round, like a pencil. They can be straight or curved, and they all end in a sharp point. After the flowers, the plant grows smooth, egg-shaped fruits. These fruits are about 1.7–2.3 cm (0.7–0.9 in) long and have a broad, short beak at the end.
How It Was Named
The Hakea recurva was first officially described in 1856. A scientist named Carl Meisner wrote about it in a book called Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.
Where It Grows
The jarnockmert grows in open scrubland or areas with Mulga trees. It prefers to grow in soils that are made of granite loam, sand, sandy-clay, gravel, and laterite. You can find it in a large area of Western Australia. This area stretches from the Murchison River to towns like Laverton and Israelite Bay.
There are two slightly different types, or subspecies, of Hakea recurva:
- Hakea recurva subsp. arida : This type usually has leaves that are about 4 cm (1.6 in) long and 1.2–1.6 mm (0.047–0.063 in) wide. The small, overlapping leaves around the flowers (called bracts) are 2–3.5 mm (0.079–0.138 in) long. They are smooth and reddish with a light brown edge. The flower stalks (pedicels) are 4.5–8 mm (0.18–0.31 in) long.
- Hakea recurva subsp. recurva : This type has longer leaves, typically 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) long and 2–3.2 mm (0.079–0.126 in) wide. Its flower bracts are 4–7.5 mm (0.16–0.30 in) long and are pale in color. The flower stalks (pedicels) are longer too, about 8–13 mm (0.31–0.51 in) long.
