Persoonia rufiflora facts for kids

Persoonia rufiflora is a special kind of flowering plant. It is part of the Proteaceae plant family. This plant grows only in the south-west area of Western Australia. It is a shrub that can stand tall or spread out. Its young branches have soft hairs. The leaves are shaped like a spear or are long and thin. Its flowers are greenish-yellow and also have hairs. They usually grow one by one or in pairs.

What Does Persoonia rufiflora Look Like?

Persoonia rufiflora is a shrub that stands upright. Sometimes, it can spread out wide. It usually grows to be about 0.5 to 2.5 meters (1.6 to 8.2 feet) tall. Its young branches are covered with grayish or rust-colored hairs.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are quite interesting. They can be shaped like a spear, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. Some leaves are long and thin, like a line. They are usually 20 to 45 millimeters (0.8 to 1.8 inches) long. They are also 0.7 to 8 millimeters (0.03 to 0.3 inches) wide. Each leaf has three raised lines on its top surface.

The flowers grow either alone or in pairs. At the bottom of each flower, there is a small, scale-like leaf. The flower parts, called tepals, are greenish-yellow. They are 6.5 to 10 millimeters (0.26 to 0.39 inches) long. The outside of the tepals is hairy. Inside the flower, the pollen-producing parts, called anthers, are white.

Flowering Time and Fruit

Persoonia rufiflora usually blooms from June to September. After flowering, it produces a fruit. This fruit is smooth and shaped like a kidney or an oval. It is a type of drupe, which means it has a hard pit inside, like a peach. The fruit is about 6 millimeters (0.24 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide.

How Persoonia rufiflora Got Its Name

The plant Persoonia rufiflora was first officially described in 1855. This was done by a scientist named Carl Meissner. He wrote about it in a science journal called Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany. The information came from plant samples collected by another botanist, James Drummond.

Where Persoonia rufiflora Lives

This type of geebung plant grows in special areas in the south-west of Western Australia. It can be found in heathlands. These are open areas with small shrubs. It also grows in mallee woodland. This is a type of forest with small, multi-stemmed eucalyptus trees. You can find it between Kalbarri National Park and the Mogumber area.

Is Persoonia rufiflora Endangered?

The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Persoonia rufiflora. They have decided that it is "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not in danger of disappearing.