Remote thorny lignum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Remote thorny lignum |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Muehlenbeckia |
| Species: |
M. horrida
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| Subspecies: |
M. h. subsp. abdita
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| Trinomial name | |
| Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita (K.L.Wilson)
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The remote thorny lignum (scientific name: Muehlenbeckia horrida subsp. abdita) is a special type of shrub found only in Western Australia. It is considered "critically endangered," which means it's at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
What is Remote Thorny Lignum?
This plant is a shrub that grows upright and can spread out. It usually reaches a height of about 60 to 120 centimeters (about 2 to 4 feet). Unlike many plants, it doesn't have leaves! Instead, its stems do the work of making food from sunlight. It has pretty clusters of bright, light yellow flowers.
A scientist named Karen Wilson first described this unique plant in 1996.
Where Does It Live?
The remote thorny lignum is very rare. It's only found in two specific places within the Lake Bryde-East Lake Bryde wetland area in Western Australia. This area is part of the Mallee region.
It likes to grow in wet silt and sand, right on the beds of Lake Bryde and East Lake Bryde. For this plant to survive, it needs a special cycle: the lake bed must flood with fresh water regularly, and then dry out again. This natural rhythm is very important for its life cycle.
Why is it Endangered?
Sadly, the number of remote thorny lignum plants has dropped a lot in the last 30 years. The main reason is that the water in the lakes has become much saltier. In 1985, the amount of salt in the lakes was around 160 tonnes, but by 2005, it had jumped to about 1200 tonnes!
This increase in salt is mostly because of how the land around the lakes has changed. A lot of land was cleared for farming, which caused the underground water level (called the water table) to rise. This rising water brings more salt to the surface.
Other things that threaten the plant include:
- Changes to the natural flooding and drying cycle of the lakes.
- Fun activities like water skiing that can disturb the lake bed where the plants grow.
Scientists believe there are only about 2000 remote thorny lignum plants left. There used to be a third group of these plants, but they all died by 2002, and that group is now completely gone.
Because it's in so much danger, the remote thorny lignum is listed as "critically endangered" under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It's also listed as "Rare" by Western Australia's Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. The entire lake bed ecosystem where it lives is also considered a critically endangered threatened ecological community.
