Philotheca coateana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philotheca coateana |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Philotheca
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| Species: |
coateana
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Philotheca coateana is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which includes citrus plants. This plant grows only in Western Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area. It is a small bush with oval-shaped leaves. Its white flowers have a pink stripe down the middle. They grow one by one at the ends of the branches.
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What Does Philotheca coateana Look Like?
Philotheca coateana is a small bush. It usually grows to be about 0.5 meters (about 1.6 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth.
The leaves are a dull grey-green color. They are shaped like an oval and are about 3 to 4 millimeters long. These leaves also have small, bumpy parts called glands.
The flowers grow one by one at the tips of the branches. Each flower has a tiny stem, called a pedicel, which is 1 to 3 millimeters long. The plant has five triangle-shaped sepals. These are small, leaf-like parts under the petals, and they are about 3 millimeters long.
The flowers also have five white petals. These petals are oval-shaped and have a pink stripe down their middle. They are about 7 to 9 millimeters long. Inside the flower, there are ten stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen, and they are covered in tiny hairs.
How Philotheca coateana Got Its Name
The plant Philotheca coateana was first officially described in 1998. This was done by a scientist named Paul Wilson. He wrote about it in a science magazine called Nuytsia.
The plant was named after Kevin Coate. He is a naturalist who collected the first samples of this plant. He found them near the Bulga Downs Station boundary. The second part of the plant's name, coateana, honors him.
Where Philotheca coateana Grows
This type of philotheca plant grows near a town called Menzies. It can be found in two special areas of Western Australia. These areas are known as the Coolgardie and Murchison biogeographic regions.
Protecting Philotheca coateana
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of this plant. They have given it a special status called "Priority Three".
This means that not much is known about the plant. It has only been found in a few places. However, it is not currently in immediate danger of disappearing.
