Philotheca queenslandica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philotheca queenslandica |
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| Near Mount Cooroora | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Philotheca
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| Species: |
queenslandica
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Philotheca queenslandica is a type of flowering plant found only in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. It belongs to the family Rutaceae, which is also known as the citrus family. This plant is a thin, flexible shrub with oval or egg-shaped leaves that are narrower at the bottom. These leaves grow close together near the tips of its stems, which have tiny bumps. The plant produces creamy white flowers with a hint of pink, and these flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem.
What it Looks Like
Philotheca queenslandica is a thin, flexible shrub that can grow up to about 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall. Its stems have small, bumpy glands. The leaves are crowded near the ends of the stems. They are wide and egg-shaped, narrower at the bottom, and are about 9 to 30 millimeters long and 1.5 to 7 millimeters wide.
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has a short stalk (called a peduncle) up to 3 mm long, and then another small stalk (called a pedicel) 3 to 6 mm long. Each flower has five roundish sepals. Sepals are small, leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud. It also has five oval or oblong petals that are creamy white with a hint of pink. These petals are about 4 to 10 mm long and 1.5 to 4 mm wide. The flower has ten stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. These stamens are hairy, especially near their tips.
This plant can bloom at different times throughout the year. Its fruit is small, about 5 to 8 mm long, and has a short, pointed tip.
Naming the Plant
This plant was first officially described in 1942 by a scientist named Cyril Tenison White. He named it Eriostemon queenslandicus. Later, in 2005, another scientist named Paul Irwin Forster changed its name to Philotheca queenslandica. This new name was published in a science journal called Austrobaileya.
Where it Lives
Philotheca queenslandica grows in a type of open shrubland called wallum heathland. It prefers moist or sandy soil that might be flooded at certain times of the year, like a boggy area. You can find this plant in south-eastern Queensland, Australia, in an area between Boonooroo and Bribie Island.
Conservation Status
The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under this law, Philotheca queenslandica is listed as a species of "least concern." This means that it is not currently considered to be at risk of disappearing.
