Tree broom heath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tree broom heath |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Monotoca
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| Species: |
elliptica
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The Monotoca elliptica, also known as the tree broom heath, is a special plant. You can find it growing in the south-eastern parts of Australia. It belongs to the plant family called Ericaceae.
Contents
Meet the Tree Broom Heath
The tree broom heath can live for a very long time. Some of these plants can grow for more than one hundred years! Usually, you'll see it as a shrub about three metres tall. But some amazing ones can reach up to ten metres high. That's like a three-story building!
You often find this plant in scrub areas. It likes to grow near the coast, especially on headlands and sand dunes. But it's also found further inland. It grows well in places that get a medium to high amount of rain.
What Do Its Leaves and Flowers Look Like?
The leaves of the tree broom heath are usually 10 to 25 millimetres long. They are about 3 to 7 millimetres wide. The underside of the leaves is paler. You can also see long veins running through them. Each leaf has a sharp little prickle at its tip.
The leaves can be shaped like an ellipse, an oblong, or a reverse lanceolate. The leaf stem is short, only 1 to 2 millimetres long. It feels rough if you touch it.
White flowers start to appear in late winter and early spring. They grow in clusters called racemes. These flowers have red, swollen parts called anthers.
Fruit and Uses
After the flowers, red or orange round fruits grow. They appear in spring and summer. These fruits are small, about 3 to 4 millimetres wide.
Long ago, Indigenous Australians ate these fruits as food. The wood from the tree broom heath was also useful. Early settlers used it to make handles for their tools. The bark of the plant is dark, rough, and has deep grooves.
How Did It Get Its Name?
This plant first got its scientific name in 1793. It was called Styphelia elliptica. This name was given by James Edward Smith in his book, A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland.
The plant was first found by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander. They collected it at Botany Bay near Sydney. This happened in the autumn of 1770 during Captain Cook's first voyage.
Later, in 1810, a Scottish botanist named Robert Brown changed its name. He published it as Monotoca elliptica in his book, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. The word elliptica in its name describes the elliptical shape of its leaves.
Growing and Caring for It
Growing the tree broom heath from seeds can be slow and tricky. It might take 18 months for some seeds to sprout! A better way to grow new plants is often by using cuttings.
This plant can be a great choice for hedges. It's a very tough and flexible plant. It also grows back well after being trimmed.
