Philotheca sericea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philotheca sericea |
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| Philotheca sericea near Paynes Find | |
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Philotheca
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sericea
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Philotheca sericea is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which also includes citrus fruits. This plant grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It is a small bush with tiny oval-shaped leaves. Its flowers are usually white or pink and grow one by one at the end of its branches.
What it Looks Like
Philotheca sericea is a small bush that can grow up to about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall. Its branches are a little bit hairy. The leaves are thick and shaped like small ovals. They are about 1.5 to 3 millimeters long. The top of the leaf is flat, and the bottom is rounded.
The flowers usually grow one at a time at the end of the branches. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk called a pedicel, which is only about 0.5 millimeters long. There are five small, triangular or round parts called sepals, each about 2.5 millimeters long. The five petals are white to pink and shaped like an egg. They are about 10 millimeters long and covered with soft hairs. Inside the flower, there are ten stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. These stamens are joined at their base and are also hairy.
This plant usually flowers from July to September. After flowering, it produces a fruit that is about 4 millimeters long. The fruit has a strong, beak-like tip about 2 millimeters long.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1970 by a scientist named Paul Wilson. He first named it Eriostemon sericeus. He wrote about it in a science journal called Nuytsia. The plants he studied were collected by Nathaniel Speck near Kalli in 1964.
Later, in 1998, Paul Wilson decided to change the plant's name to Philotheca sericea. He announced this change in the same journal, Nuytsia.
Where it Grows
Philotheca sericea grows in areas with lots of shrubs. It often likes to grow near granite or laterite rocks. You can find it in the south-west of Western Australia, from places near Geraldton all the way to areas near Sandstone.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at this plant. They have classified Philotheca sericea as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
