Bulburin medicosma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bulburin medicosma |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Medicosma
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| Species: |
elliptica
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The Bulburin medicosma (scientific name: Medicosma elliptica) is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which also includes citrus fruits. This plant is special because it only grows in a small part of Queensland, Australia. It has oval-shaped leaves and pretty white flowers that grow alone or in small bunches.
What Does It Look Like?
The Bulburin medicosma is a shrub or small tree. It usually grows up to 7 metres (about 23 feet) tall. Its small branches are smooth, meaning they have no hairs.
The leaves grow in pairs, one on each side of the stem. They feel leathery and are shaped like an oval. Each leaf is about 45 to 125 millimetres (1.8 to 4.9 inches) long. They are also about 18 to 60 millimetres (0.7 to 2.4 inches) wide. A short stem, called a petiole, connects the leaf to the branch. This petiole is about 4 to 10 millimetres long. The leaves are smooth and have many tiny, clear oil dots.
The flowers grow alone or in small groups where the leaves meet the stem. They either sit directly on the stem or have a very short stalk, called a pedicel, less than 1 millimetre long. The green parts that protect the bud, called sepals, are about 2 millimetres long. They have soft hairs on the outside. The white petals are about 4.5 to 5.5 millimetres long. They are covered with flat hairs on their back. These petals stay on the plant even after the fruit forms.
You can see the Bulburin medicosma flowering in April and July. The fruit is a dry, wrinkled seed pod called a follicle. It is smooth and about 7 to 9 millimetres long.
How It Was Named
The Bulburin medicosma was first officially described in 1985. A botanist named Thomas Gordon Hartley gave it its scientific name. He wrote about it in a science journal called the Australian Journal of Botany. He studied plant samples collected in the Bulburin State Forest in 1978.
Where It Lives
The Bulburin medicosma grows in the mountains of east-central Queensland, Australia. It prefers steep, rocky hillsides. You can find it in a type of forest called vineforest. Other trees like hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), brush box (Lophostemon confertus), and Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) grow there too. This area was once used for logging hoop pine trees. The plant is found in the Many Peaks and Dawes Ranges.
Protecting This Plant
The Bulburin medicosma is considered "vulnerable." This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. Both the Australian and Queensland governments protect it under special laws.
The main dangers to this plant are:
- Fires: Fires that happen too often or are too strong can harm the plants.
- Weeds: An invasive weed called Lantana camara is a big problem. It spreads quickly and can take over the plant's habitat.
These problems are partly due to the land being disturbed by earlier logging of hoop pine trees.
