Persoonia brevifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persoonia brevifolia |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
brevifolia
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| Occurrence data downloaded from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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Persoonia brevifolia is a special plant that belongs to the Proteaceae family. It's a type of shrub that grows only in a small area near the border between south-eastern New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. This plant is known for its pretty yellow flowers and unique leaves.
Contents
What Does Persoonia brevifolia Look Like?
Persoonia brevifolia is an upright shrub. It usually grows to be about 0.8 to 1.5 meters (2.6 to 4.9 feet) tall. This plant has smooth bark and its younger branches are a bit hairy.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are shaped like an oval or an egg. They are about 10 to 25 millimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) long. They are also 3 to 12 millimeters (0.1 to 0.5 inches) wide. When the leaves are young, they have a few hairs. But as they get older, they become smooth and hairless. The top side of the leaf is darker than the bottom side.
The flowers are bright yellow. They grow one by one where a leaf joins the stem. Each flower sits on a small stalk, which is about 2 to 5 millimeters long. The four parts of the flower, called tepals, are 5 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long.
When It Flowers and Fruits
Persoonia brevifolia flowers from December to March. After flowering, it produces a fruit. This fruit is an oval-shaped drupe, which is a type of fruit with a hard pit inside, like a peach.
How This Plant Got Its Name
This type of geebung plant was first officially described in 1870. A botanist named George Bentham gave it the name Persoonia myrtilloides var. brevifolia. He wrote about it in a book called Flora Australiensis. The plants he studied were collected by Ferdinand von Mueller. He found them near the Genoa River and Nangatta Mountains.
Later, in 1991, two other botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Peter Weston, decided to give it its own species name. They changed it to Persoonia brevifolia. They published this new name in a science journal called Telopea.
Where Does It Grow?
This special geebung plant grows in eucalypt forests. These forests are found at heights between 200 and 1100 meters (650 and 3600 feet) above sea level. You can find it on a few mountain peaks. These peaks are located near the border between New South Wales and Victoria. It also grows near the upper Genoa River in far eastern Victoria.
