Olearia cordata facts for kids

Olearia cordata is a special type of plant. It is a thin, sweet-smelling shrub with pretty flowers. These flowers look like daisies and are usually purple or dark blue. This plant is only found in New South Wales, Australia. Its flowers grow in groups at the ends of its branches. The leaves are narrow and shaped like a heart near the bottom.

About This Plant

Olearia cordata can grow up to about 2 metres (6.6 feet) tall. Its small branches and leaves are covered in tiny hairs. They also have sticky parts that make them feel rough. The leaves are not very close together and grow one after another.

These leaves are about 10 to 40 millimetres (0.4 to 1.6 inches) long. They are also 2 to 8 millimetres (0.08 to 0.3 inches) wide. You can't easily see the veins in the leaves. They are shaped like a narrow egg, becoming heart-shaped near the bottom. The tip of the leaf can be sharp or rounded. The edges of the leaves are smooth and slightly rolled.

Each flower head has a group of 10 to 18 daisy-like flowers. They are purple or dark blue and about 22 to 35 millimetres (0.9 to 1.4 inches) across. Each flower head sits on a stalk about 40 millimetres (1.6 inches) long. The middle of the flower is yellow. After the flowers, the plant makes a smooth fruit with long hairs. This plant usually flowers from November to February.

How It Got Its Name

The plant Olearia cordata was first officially described in 1975. A botanist named Nicholas Lander gave it its name. He wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea.

The second part of its name, cordata, comes from a Latin word. Cordatus means "heart-shaped". This name was chosen because of the shape of the plant's leaves near their base.

Where Does It Grow?

Olearia cordata is a plant that is only found in New South Wales, Australia. This means it is "endemic" to that area. You can find it in a few places, from Wisemans Ferry to Wollombi. Many of these places are inside National Parks.

This plant likes to grow in open areas with scattered bushes. It prefers sandy soil on top of sandstone ridges. You can often find it in a type of forest called dry sclerophyll forest.

Protecting This Plant

Olearia cordata is considered a "vulnerable" plant. This means it is at risk of disappearing if we don't protect it. The Office of Environment & Heritage in New South Wales lists it as vulnerable.

The Australian Government also protects this plant under a law called the EPBC Act. This law helps to make sure that important plants and animals are kept safe for the future.