Curved rice-flower facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Curved rice-flower
Pimelea curviflora on Black Mountain
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pimelea
Species:	curviflora

Pimelea curviflora, also called the curved rice-flower, is a special kind of shrub. It belongs to the plant family Thymelaeaceae. This plant grows only in Australia, which means it is endemic there. It's a small, fuzzy bush with greenish-yellow or sometimes red flowers that look like tiny tubes.

What Does It Look Like?

The curved rice-flower is a small, woody shrub that grows under taller trees. It can be anywhere from 20 to 150 centimeters (about 8 inches to 5 feet) tall. Its stems are soft and covered in fine hairs.

Its leaves are yellowish-green and can be shaped like an oval, a spear, or an egg. They are usually 5 to 20 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.8 inches) long and 2 to 8 millimeters (about 0.08 to 0.3 inches) wide. Both sides of the leaves are hairy. The leaves grow either opposite each other or in an alternating pattern along the stem. They have a short stalk and a pointed tip.

The flowers are small and grow in groups of 6 to 20. They are usually green-yellow, but sometimes they can be reddish. Each flower is a tube about 5 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long, flaring out at the ends. These flowers are often found at the tips of branches or where leaves meet the stem. The plant usually blooms from late spring to early summer. After flowering, it produces small, dry, green fruits that are about 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long.

How It Got Its Name

The curved rice-flower was first officially described in 1810 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He wrote about it in his book, Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805.

The second part of its scientific name, curviflora, tells us something about the plant. It comes from two Latin words: curvi- which means "curved," and -florus which means "-flowered." So, curviflora means "curved-flowered," describing the shape of its flowers.

Where Does It Grow?

The curved rice-flower is a very common plant found in many parts of Australia. You can find it in New South Wales, south-eastern South Australia, and south-eastern Queensland. It often grows on or near the Great Dividing Range and in coastal areas, stretching from Brisbane all the way to Adelaide.

This plant likes to grow in different places, including forests, grasslands, and woodlands. It's often found among trees like acacia, eucalypts, and callitris. It prefers soils made of clay and shale. You can also spot it in rainforests, especially in areas with thick vines. It's a very common plant in Victoria, including in mountain woodlands, and it also grows in Tasmania.