Kangaroo Island phebalium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kangaroo Island phebalium |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leionema
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| Species: |
equestre
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The Kangaroo Island phebalium (scientific name: Leionema equestre) is a special type of shrub. It is found only on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This small plant has rough, green leaves and pretty whitish-pink flowers. It blooms from late winter until October.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Kangaroo Island phebalium is a small shrub, growing up to about 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall. It has green stems that spread out wide and can sometimes turn reddish.
Its leaves are flat and feel rough. They are shaped a bit like a saddle, round, and measure about 1 to 3.5 millimeters long and 2 to 4 millimeters wide. The edges of the leaves often roll upwards.
The flowers grow either by themselves or in small groups of two or three. Each flower has a thin, reddish stem. The petals are pink and spread out. Inside the flower, there are 10 stamens, which are usually light yellow. The flower buds are pink and oval-shaped.
After flowering, the plant produces small fruits, about 3 millimeters long. These fruits have soft, star-shaped hairs. You can see this plant flowering from August to October.
How It Got Its Name
Scientists first gave this plant the name Phebalium equestre. But in 1998, a botanist named Paul G. Wilson changed its name to Leionema equestre. He published this new name in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its scientific name, equestre, comes from a Latin word. It means "belonging to horsemen." This name was chosen because the plant's leaves are shaped a bit like a saddle, which is used by horsemen.
Where Does It Live?
This shrub is very rare! It is only found in one place in the world: Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This means it is an endemic species to that island.
Why Is It Important to Protect It?
The Kangaroo Island phebalium is considered "endangered" by the Government of South Australia. This means there are very few of these plants left in the wild. It is protected under a law called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This law helps protect plants and animals that are at risk of disappearing forever.
