Petrophile vana facts for kids
Petrophile vana is a special type of flowering plant that belongs to the Proteaceae family. It only grows in Western Australia, which means it's endemic to that area. This plant is a shrub, which is like a small bush. It has unique needle-shaped leaves with sharp points and produces small, hairy, white flowers grouped together in round or oval shapes.
Quick facts for kids Petrophile vana |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Petrophile
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| Species: |
vana
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Contents
What Petrophile vana Looks Like
Petrophile vana is a shrub that usually grows to be about 0.4 to 1.7 meters tall. When it's young, its branches are hairy. As the plant gets older, these branches become smooth.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are shaped like needles. They are about 30 to 60 millimeters long and 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide. Each leaf has a sharp point at its end.
The flowers are found where the leaves meet the stem. They grow in small, round or oval groups, with up to four flowers in each group. These flower heads are about 10 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. At the bottom of each flower head, there are about four egg-shaped leaves called involucral bracts.
The individual flowers are white and hairy, measuring about 7 to 10 millimeters long. Petrophile vana has been seen flowering in September. After flowering, the plant produces a small, dry fruit called a nut.
How Petrophile vana Got Its Name
Petrophile vana was first officially described in 2007. This means it was formally named and recorded by scientists. The scientists who did this were Raymond Jeffrey Cranfield and Terry Desmond Macfarlane. They published their findings in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The plant was named after a sample collected by Cranfield in 1987. The second part of its scientific name, vana, means "empty" or "worthless" in Latin. However, the scientists who named it said they meant it to describe the plant's "trifling" or "non-showy" look.
Where Petrophile vana Lives
This special plant is only found in a few places in Western Australia. It grows in specific areas known as the Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.
It prefers to grow in shallow, gritty clay soils. These soils are often found over a type of rock called laterite. Sometimes, Petrophile vana grows in open shrubland, alongside other plants like those from the Thryptomene species.
Protecting Petrophile vana
Petrophile vana is considered a "Priority One" plant by the Government of Western Australia. This is a special conservation status.
Being "Priority One" means that the plant is only known to exist in a very small number of locations. These locations might be at risk from different threats. This status helps scientists and conservationists keep a close eye on the plant and work to protect its habitats.
