Monotoca glauca facts for kids

Monotoca glauca, also known as goldy wood, is a type of shrub from the heath family. It grows only in Tasmania, Australia. This plant is one of about 17 different Monotoca species. You can often find it growing in large numbers. It likes to live in the shady areas under taller trees. You will see it at the edges of wet eucalypt forests and in areas where trees have been cut down.

What is Monotoca glauca?

Monotoca glauca is an evergreen shrub. This means it keeps its leaves all year round. It is usually 2 to 3 meters (about 6 to 10 feet) tall. It has many slender branches, making it look very bushy.

Its leaves are similar to another plant called Cyathodes glauca. However, Monotoca glauca leaves do not grow in circles around the stem. The veins on its leaves spread out, which is a common feature for plants in the Monotoca group.

The leaves are shaped like an oval with a pointed tip. They are usually about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) long. The top side of the leaf is yellowish-green and smooth. The bottom side is a dull, bluish-green color. This bluish color is called "glaucous."

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of Monotoca glauca are white. They have five parts, like a star. Each flower grows alone in the leaf joints along the stem. The main part of the flower is short, with petals that spread outwards.

Monotoca glauca plants are usually hermaphroditic. This means each flower has both male and female parts. Sometimes, a plant might have only male or only female flowers. It blooms in January and February.

The fruit is a small, oval-shaped drupe. A drupe is a type of fruit with a hard pit inside, like a peach or cherry. When ripe, the fruit is green and about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) wide.

How is it Different from Similar Plants?

Monotoca elliptica looks very much like Monotoca glauca. But you can tell them apart by looking at their flowers. Monotoca elliptica has flower spikes at the very end of its branches. Also, its leaves are usually wider and less narrow than those of Monotoca glauca.

Where Does Monotoca glauca Grow?

Monotoca glauca is a very common shrub. It grows in the lower layers of plants in different types of forests. You can find it at the edges of wet eucalypt forests. It also grows in mixed forests and in areas with "buttongrass" moorlands. These are open, grassy areas. It is also common in places where trees have been cut down. You will find it more often in the western parts of Tasmania.

Growing Conditions

This plant is quite tough. It can handle most frosts and even light snow. It also likes places that are moist and shady. However, it can get sick from a plant disease called Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Monotoca glauca does not like too much phosphorus in the soil. But it can grow in many different types of soil. It can be found in rich, loamy soils, as well as poor and well-drained soils.

What's in the Name?

The plant Monotoca glauca was first officially named in 1805. A scientist named Jacques Labillardière gave it the name Styphelia glauca. Later, in 1917, an English botanist named George Claridge Druce changed its name. He gave it the name it has today, Monotoca glauca.

The word "glauca" comes from an old Greek word, glaukos. This word means "gleaming" or "silvery." In the world of plants, "glaucous" describes something that has a grayish, bluish, or whitish coating. This coating is waxy and can be easily rubbed off. You can see this coating on the underside of the Monotoca glauca leaves.

Growing Monotoca glauca at Home

Monotoca glauca is a great plant for making hedges. You can grow new plants from cuttings, which are small pieces of the plant. You can also grow them from seeds.

When planting Monotoca glauca, make sure the soil drains well. It also needs some sun or full sun to grow best. It can be tricky to grow Monotoca species from seeds. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens are working hard to figure out the best ways to make these seeds sprout.