Narrow-leaf pigface facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Narrow-leaf pigface |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gunniopsis
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| Species: |
tenuifolia
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The Gunniopsis tenuifolia, often called the narrow-leaf pigface, is a special plant. It is a succulent, which means it stores water in its leaves, like a cactus! This plant belongs to the iceplant family, called Aizoaceae. You can only find it growing in Australia.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant is a shrub that lives for many years. It is smooth and rounded. It usually grows about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its small branches often have a reddish color. The leaves are long and thin, about 62 millimeters (2.4 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. They are yellow-green and round.
Where Does It Grow?
You can find the narrow-leaf pigface in central South Australia. It grows on rocky slopes of low hills. It also likes flat areas made of clay and places that sometimes flood. These areas are usually open mallee woodlands. The plant grows in clay soils between Leigh Creek and Arckaringa.
Flowering Season
This plant shows off its small, green-yellow flowers from August to January.
Naming and Discovery
The Gunniopsis tenuifolia was first officially described in 1983. A scientist named Robert Chinnock wrote about it in a journal. The plant's scientific name, tenuifolia, comes from Latin. It means "slender-leaved," which perfectly describes its thin leaves!
