Blue howittia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue howittia |
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| Howittia trilocularis | |
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Howittia is a special group of plants with only one type of plant in it, called Howittia trilocularis. It's also known as the blue howittia. This plant is found only in Australia. It's a tall bush that likes to grow in shady valleys and at the edges of rainforests. It has fuzzy leaves and pretty purple flowers that grow one by one.
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What Does Blue Howittia Look Like?
The blue howittia (Howittia trilocularis) is a spreading bush that can grow up to 3 meters (about 10 feet) tall. Its leaves are shaped like ovals, from 2.5 to 12 centimeters long and 1.5 to 8 centimeters wide. The edges of the leaves can be smooth, wavy, or slightly bumpy.
The underside of the leaves is usually pale, like white, yellow, or brownish. It's covered with tiny, star-shaped hairs that can be rusty or whitish. The top of the leaves is a dark green color.
The flowers are a lovely white, lavender, or deep purple color. They grow one at a time from where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 3 to 4 centimeters long. This stalk is covered with many soft, tangled hairs.
The flowers have five petals, each 1 to 2.5 centimeters long. They also have yellow stamens, which are the parts that hold pollen. The flowers are supported by smaller stalks called pedicels, which are 1.5 to 5 centimeters long.
Around the base of the flower are pointed leaf-like parts called calyx lobes. These are 6 to 10 millimeters long and are rusty colored with soft, star-shaped hairs.
After the flower, a round or slightly dented seed capsule forms. It is 5 to 10 millimeters wide and covered with soft, silky, or star-shaped hairs. Blue howittia usually flowers from September to January.
How Was Blue Howittia Named?
The blue howittia, Howittia trilocularis, was first officially described in 1855. A botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller wrote about it in a book called Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian plants. He described it from a plant found growing near Lake King.
The plant's genus name, Howittia, was given to honor Godfrey Howitt. He was a doctor from Melbourne who also loved studying plants as a hobby. The second part of the plant's scientific name, trilocularis, means "having three chambers". This refers to the three sections inside the seed capsule.
Where Does Blue Howittia Grow?
You can find the blue howittia growing in Australia. It likes sheltered valleys, the edges of rainforests, and eucalypt forests. It grows in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Howittia para niños
