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Persoonia pentasticha facts for kids

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Persoonia pentasticha
Conservation status

Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Genus:
Persoonia
Species:
pentasticha

The Persoonia pentasticha is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Proteaceae family. This plant is special because it grows only in the southwest part of Western Australia. It's a shrub that stands tall and spreads out. Its young branches are a bit hairy. The leaves are long and thin, with five small grooves running along them. It has yellow flowers that are also hairy. These flowers grow in groups of up to fifteen on a stem called a rachis, which can be about 4.5 centimeters long.

What the Plant Looks Like

The Persoonia pentasticha is a shrub that grows upright and spreads out. It usually reaches a height of about 0.4 to 1.8 meters (about 1.3 to 6 feet). Its bark is smooth. When the young branches first grow, they are covered with whitish, grayish, or light brown hairs.

The leaves of this plant are long and thin, almost like a cylinder. They are usually between 3.5 and 12 centimeters (about 1.4 to 4.7 inches) long. They are very narrow, only about 0.7 to 1.2 millimeters wide. Each leaf has five thin grooves running along its length and a sharp point at the end.

The flowers grow in groups of up to fifteen. They are found along a stem called a rachis, which can be up to 4.5 centimeters long. Some flowers are directly attached to the stem (this is called sessile). Others have a small stalk, or pedicel, up to 6 millimeters long. Each flower has a small, leaf-like part at its base. The outer parts of the flower, called tepals, are hairy and are about 7 to 12 millimeters long. This plant usually blooms from August to November.

Plant Name and History

The Persoonia pentasticha was officially named in 1994. Peter Weston, a botanist, gave it its formal description. He published his findings in a science journal called Telopea. He studied plant samples that John Stanley Beard had collected in 1963. These samples were found north of Wubin.

Where the Plant Grows

This type of geebung plant likes to grow in sandy soil. You can find it in the heathlands of southwestern Western Australia. It grows in the area between the towns of Mullewa, Mingenew, Wubin, and Paynes Find.

How We Protect This Plant

The Persoonia pentasticha is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that we don't know a lot about this plant, and it's only found in a few places. However, it's not currently in immediate danger of disappearing. Scientists continue to watch over it to make sure it stays safe.

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