Persoonia baeckeoides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persoonia baeckeoides |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
baeckeoides
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Persoonia baeckeoides is a type of flowering plant that belongs to the Proteaceae family. It is found only in Western Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area. This plant is a shrub that grows upright and spreads out, with many branches. It has smooth bark, leaves shaped like spatulas, and greenish-yellow flowers that grow either alone or in small groups.
What it Looks Like
Persoonia baeckeoides is a shrub that typically grows to be about 0.5 to 0.9 meters (about 1.5 to 3 feet) tall. It has smooth, mottled grey bark. Its leaves are shaped like a spatula, about 5 to 11 millimeters long and 2 to 2 millimeters wide. They feel leathery and stiff, and are slightly twisted at the base.
The flowers are greenish-yellow and grow either by themselves or in groups of up to three. They appear where the leaves meet the stem, or at the ends of branches. Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, which is about 2 to 3 millimeters long. The flower parts, called tepals (which are like petals and sepals combined), are about 7.5 to 9 millimeters long and are smooth, meaning they have no hairs.
This plant usually flowers from November to December. After flowering, it produces a smooth, oval-shaped fruit called a drupe. This fruit is about 8 to 10.5 millimeters long and 5 to 5.5 millimeters wide, and it contains a single seed inside.
How it was Named
The plant Persoonia baeckeoides was officially described for the first time in 1994. This description was made by a scientist named Peter Weston. He wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. He had collected samples of the plant from Peak Charles National Park in Western Australia.
Where it Lives
This special Persoonia plant has only been found in two places, both within Peak Charles National Park. It grows on flat, gently rolling plains in these areas.
Protecting the Plant
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Persoonia baeckeoides a "Priority One" conservation status. This means that the plant is known from only one or a very few locations, and these places could be at risk. Because it's so rare and found in so few spots, it needs special protection to make sure it doesn't disappear.
