Petrophile conifera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petrophile conifera |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Petrophile |
| Species: |
P. conifera
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| Binomial name | |
| Petrophile conifera Meisn.
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| Synonyms | |
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Petrophila conifera Meisn. orth. var. |
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The Petrophile conifera is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. This plant is special because it only grows in southwestern Western Australia.
It is a bushy shrub with many branches. Its leaves are divided and have sharp points. The plant also has oval-shaped flower heads. These flowers are hairy and can be cream, creamy yellow, or yellowish white.
What it Looks Like
Petrophile conifera is a shrub that grows in a bushy way. It has many branches and usually reaches a height of 0.3 to 1.5 meters (about 1 to 5 feet). Its young branches are covered in soft, woolly hairs.
The leaves are smooth and do not have hairs. They are about 40 to 110 millimeters (1.5 to 4.3 inches) long. Each leaf has a stem, called a petiole, which is 20 to 50 millimeters (0.8 to 2 inches) long. The leaves are stiff and look like needles. They are divided into smaller, sharply pointed parts.
The flowers grow in oval-shaped clusters at the ends of the branches. These clusters are 20 to 30 millimeters (0.8 to 1.2 inches) long. At the base of the flower clusters are hairy, spear-shaped leaves called bracts. The individual flowers are 8 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long and are also hairy. They come in colors like cream, creamy yellow, or yellowish white.
This plant flowers from August to October. After flowering, it produces small, hard fruits called nuts. These nuts are joined together in an oval head, which is 10 to 30 millimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long.
How it Was Named
The plant Petrophile conifera was first officially described in 1855. This was done by a scientist named Carl Meissner. He wrote about it in a science journal called Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany. The plant material he studied was collected by another botanist, James Drummond.
The second part of the plant's name, conifera, means "cone-bearing." This name was chosen because the plant's fruit heads look a bit like small cones.
In 2011, two more scientists, Michael Clyde Hislop and Kelly Anne Shepherd, found two different types of this plant. These types are called subspecies. They are:
- Petrophile conifera subsp. conifera: This type has leaf stems (petioles) that are 20 to 48 millimeters long. Its bracts (small leaves at the base of flowers) are 0.9 to 2.2 millimeters wide.
- Petrophile conifera subsp. divaricata: This type has shorter leaf stems, 12 to 24 millimeters long. Its bracts are wider, 2.5 to 4.1 millimeters wide.
Where it Grows
This petrophile plant likes to grow in areas with heathland and sandy plains. It is commonly found north of Geraldton in southwestern Western Australia. You can find it in specific natural areas called the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains.
The subspecies conifera grows from Eurardy Reserve and Kalbarri National Park all the way to the Chapman River near Geraldton. The subspecies divaricata is only found near Coorow.
Conservation Status
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of how rare plants are.
- Petrophile conifera subsp. conifera is listed as "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants, and they are not in danger.
- Petrophile conifera subsp. divaricata is listed as "Priority Two." This means it is not very well known, and it only grows in one or a few places. Scientists are still learning about it.
