Leathery-leaf persoonia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leathery-leaf persoonia |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
coriacea
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| Occurrence data downloaded from AVH | |
The Persoonia coriacea, also known as the leathery-leaf persoonia, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Proteaceae family, which includes many unique Australian plants. This plant grows only in the southwest part of Western Australia.
It is a shrub that can grow upright or spread out. It has smooth bark and leaves that are shaped like spatulas or narrow ovals. Its bright yellow flowers grow in groups of up to ten along a stem.
What Does It Look Like?
The leathery-leaf persoonia is a shrub that usually grows between 0.3 and 2 meters (about 1 to 6.5 feet) tall. It has many stems coming from its base and smooth, grey bark that looks a bit patchy.
When the branches and leaves first grow, they are a bit fuzzy. But as they get older, they become smooth. The leaves are arranged one after another along the stem. They are usually 20 to 65 millimeters (about 0.8 to 2.5 inches) long and 3 to 13 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.5 inches) wide. A cool thing about these leaves is that they often twist up to 90 degrees, so they stand upright! Plants near Yellowdine often have very twisted leaves.
The bright yellow flowers grow in groups of up to ten. They are found along a stem that can be up to 70 millimeters (about 2.7 inches) long. After the plant flowers, this stem often keeps growing into a leafy shoot. Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel, which is 2.5 to 9 millimeters long. The flower parts, called tepals, are bright yellow and 6.5 to 11.5 millimeters long. They have bright yellow anthers inside.
This plant usually flowers from November to February. After flowering, it produces an oval-shaped fruit called a drupe. This fruit is 7 to 13 millimeters long and 5 to 7 millimeters wide, and it holds a single seed.
Where Does It Grow?
The leathery-leaf persoonia is found in the southwest of Western Australia. You can see it from Carnamah in the north, south to Lake Grace and Lake King, and east to Plumridge Lakes.
It likes to grow in yellow sand dunes or sandy flat areas. Sometimes it grows in sandy clay soils, which can be on top of laterite (a type of soil), red sand, or granite. You can find this plant in areas with heathland and mallee heath plant communities. Interestingly, the rare blue-breasted fairywren bird has been seen building its nests in this shrub!
Why Is It Called That?
The scientific name Persoonia coriacea was first officially described in 1928. Two scientists, James Wales Claredon Audas and Patrick Francis Morris, described it. They used plant samples collected by Max Koch near Merredin in 1923. Their description was published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia.
Within the group of plants called Persoonia, P. coriacea is part of the lanceolata group. This group has 54 species that are very similar in their flowers but have different types of leaves. These species often breed with each other if they grow in the same area. For example, the leathery-leaf persoonia can create new hybrid plants with another species called P. helix.
Use in Gardens
The leathery-leaf persoonia is not very popular for growing in gardens. It is not commonly grown by people.
