Tapeworm plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tapeworm plant |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Platysace
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| Species: |
compressa
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The Platysace compressa, often called the tapeworm plant, is a unique plant found only in Western Australia. It's a type of herb that grows year after year.
Contents
Discovering the Tapeworm Plant
This interesting plant usually stands upright or leans a bit. It can grow from about 15 centimeters (6 inches) up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall.
What Does It Look Like?
The tapeworm plant gets its common name because its stems can look a bit flat, like a tapeworm. It has pretty white to cream-colored flowers. These flowers bloom for a long time, from September all the way through March.
Where Does the Tapeworm Plant Live?
You can find the tapeworm plant growing in special places along the coast of Western Australia. It likes sandy areas, like sand dunes. It also grows on hills made of coastal limestone or granite. Sometimes, you'll spot it on rocky outcrops too.
Its home range stretches along the southern coast of Western Australia. This includes the areas known as the South West, the Great Southern, and the Goldfields-Esperance region.
Who Named This Plant?
Scientists have studied the tapeworm plant for a long time. The first person to describe it was a botanist named J.J.H. de Labillardiere in 1805. He gave it the name Azorella compressa.
Later, in 1818, another scientist named Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel changed its name to Trachymene compressa. Finally, in 1939, C. Norman placed it in the group of plants called Platysace. This is why its full scientific name today is Platysace compressa.
