Matted triggerplant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matted triggerplant |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Stylidium
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| Species: |
repens
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The Stylidium repens, also known as the matted triggerplant, is a special kind of plant. It's a dicotyledon, meaning its seeds have two first leaves. This plant belongs to the Stylidium group, which is part of the Stylidiaceae family.
This triggerplant is found only in Australia. You can mostly see it in the southwest part of Western Australia. It's a creeping plant, which means it spreads out along the ground. It can cover large areas like a tangled mat of stems and aerial roots.
The older parts of the stems are grey. But the younger stems look red. They have small groups of leaves at their ends, called rosettes. These leaves are tiny, about 5 mm to 1 cm long.
When it rains, new roots grow from these rosettes. One to three flowers also pop out. This triggerplant is unique because it often flowers twice a year. It blooms in autumn and again in late spring. Many triggerplants have very specific ways to be pollinated. But the matted triggerplant uses many different insects to help it spread its seeds.
Where the Matted Triggerplant Lives
The Stylidium repens mostly grows in jarrah and wandoo forests. You can also find it in sandy areas and scrubby heath habitats. It is spread widely across Western Australia. You can see it from north of Geraldton to east of Esperance. It also grows south to the coast and inland towards Dangin.
How Scientists Learn About Plants
Scientists sometimes give plants different names. They do this as they learn more about them. For example, there was once a plant called Stylidium repens var. diplectroglossum. People thought it was a type of matted triggerplant. It had narrower leaves and different calyx parts. But now, scientists have decided it's its own species. It is now called S. diplectroglossum.
Also, a scientist named Rica Erickson thought that S. radicans was actually the same as S. repens. Later, Allen Lowrie and his team studied these creeping triggerplants. They confirmed that these two names were for the same plant. This means S. radicans is a synonym for S. repens.
