Woolly-glandular daisy-bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woolly-glandular daisy-bush |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification |
Olearia adenolasia, often called the woolly-glandular daisy-bush, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Asteraceae family, which includes many daisy-like flowers. This plant is a small shrub that stands upright. It has sticky leaves and pretty daisy flowers. These flowers can be blue-purple or white.
What it Looks Like
The woolly-glandular daisy-bush is a fragrant shrub. It can grow up to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. Its stems are woody, and its branches are sticky. They also have soft, short, silky hairs.
The leaves are packed closely together. They are narrow but get wider towards the tip. Each leaf is about 7 to 14 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. They are also about 1 to 1.5 millimeters (0.04 to 0.06 inches) wide. The top of the leaves is dark green and feels silky. It has many short, sticky hairs.
The underside of the leaves has soft, cream-colored hairs. The edges of the leaves are rolled. Each flower head has 9 to 15 small flowers. These grow at the end of a branch on a short stalk. Before the flower opens, the bracts (small leaf-like parts) are bell-shaped. They are about 7 to 9 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long.
The petals are white to blue-purple. They are narrow but widen at the tip. Each petal is about 8 millimeters (0.3 inches) long and ends in a sharp point. The center of the individual flowers is yellow. After flowering, the plant produces dry, oval-shaped fruits. These fruits are about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) long. They have 4 to 5 ridges and contain one seed. This plant usually flowers from August to November.
How it Got its Name
The woolly-glandular daisy-bush was first described in 1865. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller called it Aster adenolasius. He published this in a book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. He also suggested it could be named Olearia adenolasius.
Then, in 1867, George Bentham officially named it O. adenolasia. He published its description in a book called Flora Australiensis. The second part of its scientific name, adenolasia, comes from Ancient Greece. The word aden means "gland", and lasios means "hairy", "woolly", or "shaggy". This name describes the plant's sticky, hairy leaves.
Where it Grows
The woolly-glandular daisy-bush grows in Western Australia. You can find it near places like Coolgardie, the Esperance plains, Kondinin, and Ravensthorpe. It likes to grow in sandy loam soil. It also grows in sand over laterite (a type of soil) and on sand hills.
