Isopogon drummondii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isopogon drummondii |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Isopogon
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| Species: |
drummondii
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
| Synonyms | |
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Isopogon drummondii is a small shrub, which means it's a type of bush. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. You can only find this plant growing naturally in the southwest part of Western Australia. It was first officially described in 1843 by a person named Henri Antoine Jacques. He used notes from another person, Hügel, to describe it.
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What is Isopogon drummondii?
Isopogon drummondii is a small plant that doesn't grow very tall. It's a type of shrub, which means it has woody stems but isn't as big as a tree. This plant is part of the interesting Proteaceae family, which includes many unique Australian plants like the Banksia.
Where Does It Grow?
This special shrub is endemic to a specific area. This means it only grows naturally in the southwest region of Western Australia. The map in the infobox shows where it has been found. This makes it a unique part of Australia's plant life.
How Plants Get Their Names
Naming plants can sometimes be a bit tricky! Scientists around the world follow special rules to give plants their official names. This helps everyone know exactly which plant they are talking about.
A Name That Couldn't Be Used
In 1870, another scientist named George Bentham also described a plant he called I. drummondii. However, this name had already been used for a different plant by Henri Antoine Jacques. Because of this, Bentham's name was considered a Nomen illegitimum. This is a fancy way of saying it was a "name that couldn't be used" because it was already taken.
New Ideas About the Name
More recently, in 2019, two scientists named Barbara Lynette Rye and Terry Desmond Macfarlane looked closely at I. drummondii again. They suggested that it might actually be the same plant as another one called Isopogon sphaerocephalus subsp. spaerocaphalus. When two plants are thought to be the same, one name becomes a synonym of the other.
They also thought that George Bentham might not have known about Jacques's earlier description. This is because Jacques's description was published in a gardening magazine in France, not a typical science journal. Rye and Macfarlane even suggested a new name, Isopogon autumnalis, for the plant Bentham described.
The Official List
As of November 2020, the Australian Plant Census still accepts the name Isopogon drummondii as described by Hügel and Jacques. This census is like the official list of all known plants in Australia. It helps keep track of all the different species and their correct names.
