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Heathy mirbelia facts for kids

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Heathy mirbelia
Wildflower Morton National Park.JPG
Heath Mirbelia at Morton National Park, Australia
Mirbelia rubiifolia (fruit) PC130077.jpg
fruiting at Barrenjoey
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
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Order:
Family:
Subfamily:
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Genus:
Mirbelia
Species:
M. rubiifolia
Binomial name
Mirbelia rubiifolia
(Andrews) G.Don
Synonyms
  • Pultenaea rubiifolia Andrews
  • Mirbelia reticulata Sm.

Mirbelia rubiifolia is a small, spreading shrub. It belongs to the plant family called Fabaceae, which includes peas and beans. This plant is also known as Heath Mirbelia. You can only find it in Australia. It grows in special types of forests and woodlands called sclerophyll forests. It also likes sandy soils near the coast or on higher lands, especially in places that sometimes get flooded. You can find it from Croajingolong National Park in Victoria all the way up to Queensland.

What is Heath Mirbelia?

Mirbelia rubiifolia is a plant that usually stays close to the ground. It rarely grows taller than 30 cm (12 in). Its leaves are pointed and grow in groups of three. Each leaf is usually about 1 to 2.5 cm (0.39 to 0.98 in) long and 2 to 4 mm wide. You can easily see the veins on the top surface of the leaves.

Flowers and Fruit

This plant has beautiful purple or pink flowers. They appear in spring, usually from September to December. Sometimes, very rarely, you might even see white flowers. After the flowers, the plant produces an egg-shaped fruit. This fruit is a small pod, about 5 mm long.

How it Got Its Name

The plant Mirbelia rubiifolia has an interesting history with its name. It was first described in 1804 by Henry Cranke Andrews. He called it Pultenaea rubiaefolia. This plant had been brought to England and grown in Hammersmith as early as 1792.

Later, in 1805, James Edward Smith tried to name it Mirbelia reticulata. However, this name was not allowed. Finally, in 1832, a Scottish botanist named George Don placed it in the Mirbelia group. This is how it got its current name, Mirbelia rubiifolia. The "rubiifolia" part of its name comes from how its leaves look similar to those of the Rubus genus, which includes plants like raspberries.

Where it Grows

Heath Mirbelia is found only in Australia. It likes to grow in areas with sclerophyll forests and woodlands. These are types of forests where the plants have hard, tough leaves to survive dry conditions. It also grows in heathlands, which are open areas with low-growing shrubs. It prefers sandy soils, especially near the coast or on higher plateaus. Sometimes, it can even be found in places that get flooded. You can see this plant from Croajingolong National Park in Victoria up to Queensland.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mirbelia rubiifolia para niños

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