Hazel pomaderris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hazel pomaderris |
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| rainforest dominated by Hazel Pomaderris, Wilsons Promontory, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pomaderris
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| Species: |
aspera
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| Synonyms | |
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Pomaderris apetala Labill. |
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The Hazel Pomaderris (scientific name: Pomaderris aspera) is a cool plant found in eastern and southern Australia. You can mostly spot it in places like New South Wales, stretching from south of the Barrington Tops all the way down to Wilsons Promontory and Cape Otway. It also grows in Tasmania. Sometimes, you might even find a few of these plants further north in Queensland, as far as Bunya Mountains National Park.
The name aspera comes from Latin and means "rough." This is because the leaves of the Hazel Pomaderris feel a bit rough to the touch.
What Does Hazel Pomaderris Look Like?
The Hazel Pomaderris is usually a shrub, which is like a big bush, growing up to 4 metres (about 13 feet) tall. But in some special places, like Wilsons Promontory, these plants can grow much taller, reaching up to 20 metres (about 65 feet)! That's as tall as a six-story building! Their main stem, or trunk, can be about 30 centimetres (12 inches) wide.
The trunk of the Hazel Pomaderris is usually dark brown and fairly smooth. It might have a few small cracks or bumps. The smaller branches are quite thick and covered in soft, light brown hairs. On the bigger branches, you might see rusty brown spots called lenticels, which are like tiny pores that help the plant breathe.
Leaves of the Hazel Pomaderris
The leaves of this plant are usually 5 to 20 centimetres (2 to 8 inches) long and 2 to 8 centimetres (1 to 3 inches) wide. They have a shape called ovate lanceolate, which means they are wider at the bottom and pointy at the top, a bit like a spearhead. The edges of the leaves have coarse serrations, which are like rough, saw-like teeth.
If you look closely at the leaves, you'll notice the veins. On the underside of the leaf, the veins are very clear and stand out. But on the top surface, they look a bit sunken.
Flowers and Fruit
The Hazel Pomaderris produces yellow flowers. These flowers are a bit unusual because they don't have petals! They usually bloom from October to November. The flowers grow in clusters called panicles, which are like branched groups of flowers.
After the flowers, the plant grows small, dark brown fruits. These fruits are round capsules, about 3 millimetres (0.1 inches) across, and they don't have any hairs. Inside each fruit, there are three small sections called carpels. Each carpel holds a single, bone-coloured seed. The fruits usually ripen between January and March.
