Homoranthus bruhlii facts for kids

Homoranthus bruhlii is a special plant from the Myrtaceae family, also known as the myrtle family. This plant is found only in a small area of New South Wales, Australia. It grows in the Northern Tablelands region. It is an upright shrub with smooth, pale green leaves. Its flowers are a pale yellowish-green and grow in small groups.

What Does Homoranthus bruhlii Look Like?

This plant is an upright shrub. It has smooth, pale green leaves that are long and thin. Its flowers are a pale yellowish-green color. They grow in groups of three or four. You can find these flowers near where the leaves join the stem. The flowers have five petals and stand upright. They usually bloom in October and November. After flowering, the plant quickly forms fruits.

How Did It Get Its Name?

Scientists officially described Homoranthus bruhlii in 2011. Lachlan Copeland, Lyndley Craven, and Jeremy Bruhl were the scientists who first described it. They found a sample of the plant near Tenterfield in 2002. The description was published in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany. The second part of its name, bruhlii, honors Jeremy Bruhl. He is a Professor of Botany at the University of New England.

Where Does Homoranthus bruhlii Live?

This plant grows in very specific places. It likes sandy soil that is thin and rocky. You can find it growing in cracks and crevices of granite rocks. It is known from only one small group of plants.

Why Is Homoranthus bruhlii Important?

This plant is very rare. Scientists know of only one group of about 20 plants. This group covers an area smaller than one hectare (about 2.5 acres). Because there are so few plants, it is considered 'Critically Endangered'. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.

Threats to Homoranthus bruhlii

Several things threaten this rare plant:

• Fire: The way fires happen in its habitat is not good for the plant.
• Grazing: Wild goats eat the plants, which harms the small population.
• Low Numbers: Having so few plants makes it very vulnerable. If something bad happens to this one group, the entire species could be lost.