Nematolepis ovatifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nematolepis ovatifolia |
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Nematolepis
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N. ovatifolia
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| Nematolepis ovatifolia (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson
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Nematolepis ovatifolia is a small, pretty shrub. It has stems with a rusty color and smooth, shiny leaves. In summer, it blooms with small clusters of white flowers. This plant grows naturally only in New South Wales, Australia.
What Does it Look Like?
Nematolepis ovatifolia is a small, bushy shrub. Its stems can be somewhat angled or round. They are covered in light rust-colored scales. You might also see tiny bumps, like warts, on them.
Its leaves are wide and shaped like an egg or a broad oval. They are about 0.9 to 1.2 centimeters long and 5 to 10 millimeters wide. The edges of the leaves are mostly flat. The top surface has tiny glands, and the underside is covered in silvery scales.
The flowers grow in small, tight groups of 1 to 3 white blooms. Each petal is about 4 millimeters long. When they are still buds, the flowers are pink. They also have tiny glands. The individual flower stems and the cluster stems are thick and flat. Together, they are about 2 to 4 millimeters long.
The plant has small, leaf-like parts called bracts. These are oblong or egg-shaped and about 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the flower bud, stand almost straight up. They are triangular and about 2 millimeters long.
After flowering, the plant produces a dry seed capsule. It is mostly square-shaped, about 3 millimeters long, and has a short, rounded tip. This plant flowers during the summer months.
How Did it Get its Name?
This plant was first officially described by a botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller in 1855. He gave it the name Phebalium ovatifolium. He published his description in a book called Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian plants.
Later, in 1998, another botanist named Paul G. Wilson changed its name. He renamed it Nematolepis ovatifolia. This new name was published in a science magazine called Nuytsia.
Where Does it Grow?
Nematolepis ovatifolia likes to grow in low woodlands. You can find it on granite ridges in the high mountain areas of the Kosciuszko National Park. This park is located in New South Wales, Australia.
