Persoonia microphylla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persoonia microphylla |
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| In the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
microphylla
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| Synonyms | |
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Persoonia oxycoccoides var. microphylla (R.Br.) Domin |
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The Persoonia microphylla is a special kind of plant. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. You can only find it growing naturally in New South Wales, Australia. This plant is a shrub, which means it's a woody plant smaller than a tree. It can grow upright or spread out low to the ground. It has small, oval or egg-shaped leaves and pretty yellow flowers. These flowers grow in groups of up to fourteen along a stem called a rachis.
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What Does Persoonia microphylla Look Like?
This plant is a shrub that can grow either straight up or spread out low to the ground. It usually reaches about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) (about 6.5 feet) tall. Its bark is smooth. When the plant is young, its new branches are covered with soft, whitish or greyish hairs.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of Persoonia microphylla are wide and shaped like an oval or an egg. They are quite small, only about 3–9 mm (0.12–0.35 in) (less than half an inch) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide. Their edges often curl downwards.
The flowers are bright yellow. They grow in groups, with up to fourteen flowers on a single stem called a rachis. This stem can be up to 30 mm (1.2 in) (just over an inch) long. After the flowers bloom, this stem often grows into a leafy shoot. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk, called a pedicel, which is about 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. There is usually a small leaf right at the bottom of each flower stalk. The flower parts, called tepals, are yellow and measure about 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long. They feel hairy on the outside.
When Does It Flower?
Persoonia microphylla usually blooms from December to February. After flowering, it produces a green fruit. This fruit is a type of drupe, which means it has a hard pit inside, like a peach or a cherry. These fruits often have purple stripes.
How Was Persoonia microphylla Named?
The Persoonia microphylla was first officially described in 1830. This means it was given its scientific name and details were written down. The famous botanist Robert Brown did this. He included it in a special book called Prodromus. The plants he studied were collected in 1823 near Port Jackson by someone named "D. Cunningham".
Where Does Persoonia microphylla Grow?
This special plant, also known as a geebung, grows in eastern New South Wales. You can find it in areas with heath (open, shrubby land) and forests. It prefers higher places, growing at altitudes between 600 and 1,200 m (2,000 and 3,900 ft) (about 2,000 to 4,000 feet) above sea level. It grows in two main areas that are not connected: one near Taralga and another in the river areas of the Budawang Range.
