Persoonia rudis facts for kids
Persoonia rudis is a special kind of plant, a shrub, that grows only in the southwest part of Western Australia. It's often called a geebung. This plant is known for its straight growth, fuzzy young branches, and long, thin leaves. It has pretty yellow flowers that grow in groups along a stem that keeps getting longer even after the flowers bloom.
Quick facts for kids Persoonia rudis |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Persoonia
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| Species: |
rudis
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Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Rudis Geebung is a shrub that usually grows to be about 0.2 to 1 meter (which is about 8 inches to 3 feet) tall. Its new branches are covered in soft, pale brown or greyish hairs.
Leaves and Flowers
Its leaves are long and narrow, like tiny green sticks. They are about 15 to 45 millimeters (about 0.6 to 1.8 inches) long and very thin, only about 0.7 to 1.4 millimeters wide. Each leaf has a pointed tip, but it's not sharp.
The flowers are bright yellow and grow in clusters of 5 to 30. These clusters are on a special stem called a rachis, which can be anywhere from 3 to 100 millimeters long. What's cool is that this stem keeps growing even after the flowers have bloomed! Each flower sits on a small stalk, called a pedicel, which is 2 to 10 millimeters long. The flower parts, called tepals (which are like petals), are 8 to 14 millimeters long, and the anthers (the parts that hold pollen) are also yellow.
When It Blooms and Its Fruit
You can see the Rudis Geebung flowering from October to January. After the flowers, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is smooth and a little bit hairy. It's a type of fruit called a drupe, which is like a small stone fruit, similar to a tiny peach or plum. These fruits are about 8.5 to 9 millimeters long and 5.5 to 6 millimeters wide.
Where Does It Live?
This geebung is found only in the southwest part of Western Australia. It grows in low, open areas called heathlands and in forests. You can find it between the towns of Three Springs and Mogumber. These areas are part of specific natural regions like the Geraldton Sandplains and the Swan Coastal Plain.
Is It Protected?
The Rudis Geebung is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that while we don't know a lot about it, and it's only found in a few places, it's not currently in immediate danger of disappearing. However, it's still important to keep an eye on it and protect its habitat.
How It Was Named
The Persoonia rudis was first officially described in 1856. A scientist named Carl Meissner wrote about it in a big book of plants. He studied plant samples that were collected in a place called the Swan River Colony by another botanist named James Drummond.
