Petrophile anceps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petrophile anceps |
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Petrophile
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anceps
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Petrophile anceps is a unique flowering plant. It is found only in a small area of southwestern Western Australia. This plant is a type of shrub and is part of the Proteaceae family. This family also includes other famous Australian plants like banksias.
The Petrophile anceps shrub has long, thin leaves with sharp tips. It also produces oval-shaped clusters of yellow, hairy flowers.
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What Petrophile anceps Looks Like
This shrub usually grows to be about 0.5 to 1 meter (1.5 to 3 feet) tall. Its branches and leaves are smooth, meaning they have no hairs.
The leaves are long and narrow, measuring about 60 to 110 millimeters (2.4 to 4.3 inches) in length. They are also about 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.12 inches) wide. Each leaf has a very sharp point at its end.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers grow in oval clusters, about 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) long. These clusters are "sessile," which means they attach directly to the stem without a stalk. Many pointed leaves called "involucral bracts" surround the base of these flower heads.
The flowers themselves are also about 15 millimeters long. They are yellow and covered in fine hairs. Petrophile anceps usually flowers from September to October. After flowering, the plant produces a type of fruit called a "nut." These nuts are joined together in a cone-shaped head, which is about 25 millimeters (1 inch) long.
How Petrophile anceps Got Its Name
The plant Petrophile anceps was first officially described in 1830. A famous botanist named Robert Brown gave it its name. He wrote about it in a special book called Supplementum.
The plant material he used to describe it was collected by William Baxter. Baxter found the plant near King George's Sound. The second part of its name, anceps, means "double." This name refers to how the flower clusters are arranged.
Where Petrophile anceps Lives
This special petrophile plant is found only in the Stirling Range area of Western Australia. It grows in areas with "heath" and "scrub" vegetation. Heath is a type of open land with low-growing shrubs. Scrub is similar, with dense bushes and small trees.
Protecting Petrophile anceps
The government of Western Australia keeps track of its plants. The Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Petrophile anceps as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
