Kunzea acicularis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kunzea acicularis |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Kunzea
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| Species: |
acicularis
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The Kunzea acicularis is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It is a shrub, which means it's a woody plant smaller than a tree. It has a few straight stems and pretty pink or purple flowers. These flowers grow in small groups of three to five. This plant is quite rare. Scientists only recently described it in 2007. It is found in a small area near a town called Ravensthorpe.
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What Does It Look Like?
Kunzea acicularis is a shrub that can grow up to 2 m (7 ft) tall. It has a few stems that stand straight up. These stems branch out in an uneven way. When the stems are young, they are covered with tiny, soft hairs.
The leaves of this plant are shaped like an egg. The narrower part of the leaf is at the bottom, near the stem. These leaves are also very hairy. They are about 3.5–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and around 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The stalk that connects the leaf to the stem is very short, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Kunzea acicularis are pink to mauve (a light purple color). They grow in groups of three to five at the ends of the branches. Around the flowers are small, hairy, triangle-shaped leaves called bracts. There are also even smaller leaves called bracteoles. Both are about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide.
The green parts that protect the flower bud, called sepals, are about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and hairy. The five colorful petals are 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and almost round. Inside the flower, there are about 26 stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen. They are usually longer than the petals. The style, which is part of the female reproductive organ, is 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long.
This plant flowers in October and November. After the flowers, it produces fruit. These fruits are hairy and shaped like a small urn. They are called capsules and still have the sepals attached to them.
How It Got Its Name
Scientists first officially described this plant in 2007. The description was made by Hellmut Toelken and Gil Craig. They published their findings in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of the plant's scientific name, acicularis, is a Latin word. It means "like a needle." This name was chosen because of the needle-like shape of the bracts around the flowers.
Where It Lives
This kunzea plant grows in areas called mallee and heath. Mallee is a type of bushland where eucalyptus trees grow with many stems from the ground. Heath is an open area with low-growing shrubs. You can find Kunzea acicularis on hills and slopes. These areas are located north-east of Ravensthorpe. This region is part of the Esperance Plains biogeographic region, which is a way of dividing Australia into natural areas.
Protecting This Plant
Kunzea acicularis is considered a "Threatened Flora" by the Western Australian Government. This means it is a very rare plant that needs special protection. The Department of Parks and Wildlife has even created a special plan to help this plant recover and survive. This plan helps protect its habitat and encourages its growth.
