Ptilotus auriculifolius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ptilotus auriculifolius |
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Ptilotus siphonandrus (Diels) Schinz |
Ptilotus auriculifolius is a unique plant that looks a bit like grass. It belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, which includes many interesting plants like spinach and amaranth.
Where It Lives
This special plant, Ptilotus auriculifolius, grows only in Western Australia. It can be found in a large area called Beard's Eremaean Province. This area covers several different parts of Western Australia. These include the Gascoyne region, the Great Sandy Desert, the Little Sandy Desert, and the Pilbara. So, it likes dry, sandy places!
How It Got Its Name
This plant has had a few different names over time! It was first described in 1849 by a scientist named Alfred Moquin-Tandon. He called it Trichinium auriculifolium. Later, in 1882, another famous scientist, Ferdinand von Mueller, studied it again. He decided it belonged to a different group of plants, called the Ptilotus genus. A genus is like a family group for plants that are very similar. So, he gave it the name Ptilotus auriculifolius, which is what we call it today.
