Persoonia prostrata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persoonia prostrata |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
prostrata
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| Synonyms | |
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Linkia prostrata (R.Br.) Kuntze |
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Persoonia prostrata was a special type of plant that belonged to the Proteaceae family. It was a prostrate shrub, meaning it grew low to the ground. This plant was only found in one specific place: the very northern part of Fraser Island in Queensland, Australia. Sadly, scientists believe it is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world.
Persoonia prostrata was similar to another plant called Persoonia stradbrokensis. However, Persoonia prostrata had smaller leaves and flowers, and it grew flat along the ground.
What it Looked Like
Persoonia prostrata was a shrub that spread out low on the ground. Its leaves were shaped like an oval or a spatula, measuring about 23 to 50 millimeters long and 12 to 24 millimeters wide.
The flowers grew along a stem-like part called a rachis. This rachis could be up to 6 millimeters long and kept growing even after the flowers bloomed. Each flower had a small, scale-like leaf at its base. The flower parts, called tepals, were about 10 millimeters long.
Scientists only know about this plant from two times it was collected. Some think it might have been a low-growing version of P. stradbrokensis. However, P. stradbrokensis has never been found on Fraser Island.
How it Was Named
The plant Persoonia prostrata was first officially described in 1810. A famous botanist named Robert Brown gave it its name. He wrote about it in a scientific book called Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Robert Brown had collected samples of this plant himself in 1802 near the coast of Sandy Cape.
Where it Lived
This type of geebung plant is only known from two collections. The first was made by Robert Brown, which is called the type collection. The second was collected later, near the end of the 1800s. Both collections came from Sandy Cape on Fraser Island.
The plant grew in sandy areas, like sand dunes. It was found in different types of plant communities, such as heathlands, woodlands, or forests.
Why it's Extinct
Persoonia prostrata is officially listed as "extinct" by the Australian Government. This classification is under a law called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Queensland Government also lists it as extinct under their Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that scientists believe this plant no longer exists anywhere in the wild.
