Persoonia pungens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persoonia pungens |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
pungens
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The Persoonia pungens, also known as a geebung, is a special type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Proteaceae family. This plant is found only in the southwest part of Western Australia. It grows as a shrub, either standing tall, spreading out, or staying low to the ground. Its young branches are quite hairy. The leaves are twisted, shaped like an oval, and have a sharp point. Its bright yellow flowers are smooth and grow in small groups.
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About the Plant
Persoonia pungens is a shrub that can grow from 20 to 80 centimeters (about 8 to 31 inches) tall. It can stand upright, spread out, or grow close to the ground. The bark on its stems is smooth and has a mottled (spotty) look. When the young branches first grow, they are covered in thick, greyish hair.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are shaped like an oval or a long rectangle. They are usually 5 to 15 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.6 inches) long and 1 to 5 millimeters (about 0.04 to 0.2 inches) wide. A cool thing about the leaves is that they are twisted all the way around, and they have a very sharp tip.
The bright yellow flowers grow in groups of up to five. They are found along a small stem called a rachis, which is about 5 millimeters long. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk called a pedicel, which is 1 to 3 millimeters long. At the bottom of each flower's stalk, there's a leaf or a small leaf-like part. The flower petals, called tepals, are bright yellow and smooth on the outside. They are about 9 to 12.5 millimeters (about 0.35 to 0.5 inches) long.
Flowering and Fruit
Persoonia pungens usually blooms from September to December. After the flowers, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is an oval-shaped drupe, which is a type of fleshy fruit with a hard pit inside, like a peach. The fruit is about 6 to 8 millimeters (about 0.24 to 0.31 inches) long and 5 to 6.5 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.26 inches) wide.
Plant Discovery
The Persoonia pungens was first officially described in 1912. This means that a scientist formally wrote down its features and gave it its scientific name. The person who did this was William Vincent Fitzgerald. He published his description in a science journal called the Journal of Botany, British and Foreign.
Where It Lives
This geebung plant grows in a type of open land called heath. You can find it in the southwest part of Western Australia. Its range stretches from near Coorow all the way to Kellerberrin. These areas are part of the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions. These regions are special areas with similar types of plants, animals, and environments.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Persoonia pungens a "Priority Three" conservation status. This means that while we don't know a lot about this plant, and it's only found in a few places, it's not currently in immediate danger of disappearing. Scientists keep an eye on these plants to make sure they stay safe.
