Pityrodia hemigenioides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pityrodia hemigenioides |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pityrodia
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| Species: |
hemigenioides
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| Occurrence data from the Atlas of Living Australia | |
Pityrodia hemigenioides is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the mint family, which is called Lamiaceae. You can find this plant growing only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It's a spreading shrub with fuzzy branches and leaves. Its flowers are usually pale white and grow near the ends of its branches.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Pityrodia hemigenioides is a shrub that spreads out. It usually grows about 30 to 60 centimeters (12 to 24 inches) tall. Its branches are covered with short, whitish or ash-colored hairs. These hairs make the plant feel soft and fuzzy.
Leaves
The leaves of this plant can be different shapes. Some are long and narrow (linear). Others are shaped like an egg. Most leaves are about 8 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. They are also about 4 to 8 millimeters (0.16 to 0.3 inches) wide. When they are young, the leaves are covered with hairs. As they get older, the leaves become smooth (this is called glabrous). You can see a clear network of veins on the underside of older leaves. The edges of the leaves are usually rolled under.
Flowers
The flowers grow one by one in the upper part of where a leaf joins the stem (this spot is called an axil). They grow so close together that they look like a spike of flowers. Each flower has a leaf-like part called a bract. This bract is about 7 to 10 millimeters (0.28 to 0.39 inches) long. There are also two smaller, leaf-like parts called bracteoles at the base of each flower. These are 4 to 8 millimeters (0.16 to 0.31 inches) long.
The flower has five sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals are 7 to 10 millimeters long. They are joined at the bottom to form a tube about 1.5 to 3 millimeters (0.06 to 0.12 inches) long. The sepals are covered with hairs, just like the leaves. However, the inside of the sepal tube is smooth.
There are five petals, which are the colorful parts of the flower. These petals are joined together to form a pale white tube. This tube is about 9 to 12 millimeters (0.35 to 0.47 inches) long. The petal tube might have a few soft hairs on the outside when it's new. But the inside is smooth, except for a ring of dense hairs above the ovary (where seeds develop). There are also a few hairs on the largest petal lobe. A lobe is a rounded part of the petal.
The bottom, middle lobe of the flower is broad and almost round. It is about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.20 inches) wide and long. The other four lobes are smaller and similar in size. They are roughly egg-shaped and 3 to 5 millimeters long.
Fruit
Pityrodia hemigenioides flowers from July to October. After flowering, it produces a fruit. The fruit is hairy and oval-shaped, about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.20 inches) long. The sepals stay attached to the fruit. You can also see a network of veins on the surface of the fruit.
How It Got Its Name
Taxonomy
The scientific name of a plant tells us about its family and species. This plant was first officially described in 1868. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it the name Chloanthes hemigenioides. He published this description in a book called Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. Later, in 1870, another scientist named George Bentham changed its name to Pityrodia hemigenioides.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of the name, hemigenioides, tells us something interesting. It means that this plant looks similar to plants in another group called Hemigenia. The ending -oides comes from Latin and means "likeness" or "similar to".
Where It Lives
This Pityrodia plant grows in yellow sand. You can find it on sandy plains and sand dunes. It mostly lives in areas near the coast. These areas are between Geraldton and Shark Bay in Western Australia. Specifically, it grows in regions known as the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, and Yalgoo.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants. They have classified Pityrodia hemigenioides as "not threatened". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
