Pink five-corners facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pink five-corners |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Styphelia
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| Species: |
triflora
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The pink five-corners (scientific name: Styphelia triflora) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the heath family, called Ericaceae. This plant is a shrub that stands tall and spreads out. It has wide leaves with a sharp, spiky tip. Its flowers are usually pink and shaped like tubes, with their petals curled back. You can find this plant growing in New South Wales and Queensland, often in sandy or loamy soils.
What Does Pink Five-Corners Look Like?
Pink five-corners is a shrub that can grow from about 0.4 m (1 ft) to 2 m (7 ft) tall. Its branches are mostly smooth. The leaves are shaped like an oval, sometimes a bit longer. They are about 14–33 mm (0.6–1 in) long and 3–8.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide. The edges of the leaves are usually smooth, and each leaf ends in a sharp point.
The flowers are very unique. They are tube-shaped and often hang down or spread out. Most of the time, they are pink or red, but sometimes you might see light yellow-green or cream-colored ones. The main part of the flower, called the corolla, is 13.5–29.4 mm (0.53–1.16 in) long. It forms a tube that is about 12–14 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long. Inside the flower, there are five stamens. These are straight and stick out far beyond the end of the petal tube. The small leaf-like parts at the base of the flower, called sepals, are 8.2–13.4 mm (0.32–0.53 in) long and smooth. After flowering, the plant produces finely ribbed fruits that are about 6.5–8 mm (0.26–0.31 in) long. You can usually see pink five-corners flowering between April and October.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The pink five-corners was first officially described in 1799. A botanist named Henry Cranke Andrews gave it its scientific name, Styphelia triflora. He published his description in a book called The Botanist's Repository for New, and Rare Plants. The second part of its scientific name, triflora, means "three flowered". This name likely refers to how the flowers grow on the plant.
Where Does It Grow?
Pink five-corners is a common plant found across New South Wales. It also grows in Queensland. You can find it in woodlands and open forests where the soil is moist and sandy or loamy. In New South Wales, it grows along coastal areas north of Jervis Bay. It is also found in the upper Blue Mountains.
