Hemigenia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hemigenia
Hemigenia incana at Gooseberry Hill National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Subfamily:	Prostantheroideae
Genus:	Hemigenia R.Br.
Synonyms
Atelandra Lindl. Colobandra Bartl.

Hemigenia is a group of flowering plants. They belong to the mint family, which is called Lamiaceae. These plants are only found in Australia. Most of them grow in Western Australia. However, some types can also be found in New South Wales and Queensland. Hemigenia plants are usually shrubs or small bushes. Their flowers are shaped like tubes. The petals form two "lips" – the top one has two parts, and the bottom one has three.

What are Hemigenia Plants Like?

Hemigenia plants are shrubs or bushes. They have simple leaves. These leaves can grow in pairs, facing each other. Or they can grow in circles around the stem, which is called a whorl.

The flowers grow one by one, or in small groups. They usually appear where a leaf meets the stem. Sometimes, many flowers grow close together, looking like a spike. Each flower has five sepals. These are small leaf-like parts that protect the bud. They are joined at their base to form a tube.

The five petals of the flower also form a tube. This tube then opens into two "lips." The upper lip has two small parts, and the lower lip has three. Inside the flower, there are four stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen.

You can tell Hemigenia plants apart from similar plants. For example, their leaves don't smell as strong as those of Hemiandra plants. They also have small differences in their stamens compared to plants like Prostanthera, Microcorys, and Westringia.

How Hemigenia Plants Got Their Name

The group of plants called Hemigenia was first officially described in 1810. This was done by a botanist named Robert Brown. He wrote about it in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Brown chose Hemigenia purpurea as the main example for the group. This is called the type species.

The name Hemigenia comes from two Ancient Greek words. "Hemi" means "half." The other word, "genias," means "a beard." This name refers to a special part of the anthers in the flower.

Where Hemigenia Plants Grow

Most Hemigenia species are found only in Western Australia. This means they are endemic to that area. However, a few species grow in other parts of Australia:

• H. cuneifolia grows in New South Wales and Queensland.
• H. biddulphiana is found in Queensland.
• H. purpurea grows in New South Wales.

List of Hemigenia Species

Here is a list of the different types of Hemigenia plants. This list was accepted by the Australian Plant Census in November 2020:

See also

In Spanish: Hemigenia para niños