Long styled hakea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long styled hakea |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hakea
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| Species: |
lasiocarpha
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Hakea lasiocarpha, also known as the long styled hakea, is a special kind of shrub. It belongs to the Proteacea plant family. This plant is endemic, which means it only grows naturally in Western Australia. It has about 30 whitish flowers that grow in clusters. Its leaves are stiff and a bit prickly. This plant is only found in a few specific places.
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What Does the Long Styled Hakea Look Like?
The long styled hakea is an upright shrub that can spread out. It usually grows to be about 3 to 6 metres (10 to 20 feet) tall. This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after a fire. Its young branches are covered with many soft, long hairs.
The leaves of the long styled hakea stay green all year. They are stiff and feel a bit prickly. Each leaf is shaped like a narrow oval when you look at it from the side. They are about 1.2 to 4 centimetres (0.5 to 1.6 inches) long and 1 to 2 millimetres (0.04 to 0.08 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruits
This hakea blooms from May to July, showing off its white flowers. Each group of flowers, called an inflorescence, has about 30 individual flowers. The white part of the flower, called the perianth, is about 8 millimetres (0.3 inches) long.
After the flowers bloom, smooth fruits start to grow. These fruits are covered in small, black, rounded bumps. They are about 20 to 23 millimetres (0.8 to 0.9 inches) long and about 10 millimetres (0.4 inches) wide. The fruits also have small "horns" that are about 5 millimetres (0.2 inches) long. Inside the fruit, the seeds are shaped like narrow ovals. They are about 10 to 11 millimetres (0.4 inches) long and have a thin wing along one side.
How Did the Long Styled Hakea Get Its Name?
The long styled hakea was first officially described by a botanist named Robert Brown. He wrote about it in a book called Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae. For a while, it was also known by another name, Hakea dolichostyla, but that is now considered an older, less common name.
The scientific name, lasiocarpha, comes from two Greek words. The first part, lasios (λάσιος), means "woolly," "hairy," or "shaggy." The second part, carpha, means "small dry body." These words likely refer to the small, dry, hairy parts at the base of the flowers.
Where Does the Long Styled Hakea Grow?
The long styled hakea is found only in a specific area along the south coast of Western Australia. This area is part of the Great Southern region. You can find it growing between the towns of Albany, Jerramungup, and Mount Barker. It likes to grow on hilltops and in valleys. It can be found in different types of soil, including sandy-loamy, clay, and gravelly soils.
