Quoya cuneata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quoya cuneata
Quoya cuneata from Bougainville's journal Voyage autour du monde
Scientific classification
Genus:	Quoya (plant)
Species:	cuneata

Quoya cuneata is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the mint family, called Lamiaceae. This plant grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It is a bushy plant with branches and leaves covered in soft, woolly hairs. The flowers start out blue, then turn white with purple spots inside.

What Does Quoya Cuneata Look Like?

Quoya cuneata is a spreading bush that can grow from about 0.6 to 3.5 meters (2 to 11 feet) tall. Its branches are covered with thick, pale white or brownish hairs, making them look woolly.

Leaves and Stems

The leaves are shaped like an egg or a wedge. They are about 8 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long and 5 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. They don't have a stalk. Both sides of the leaves feel bumpy and are covered in the same woolly hairs as the branches.

Flowers and Petals

The flowers grow one by one, or sometimes in small groups of up to three. They appear where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a woolly stalk about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long.

The flowers have five sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. These sepals are about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) long. They are very woolly on the outside.

The petals of the flower are 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. They form a bell-shaped tube with five parts, called lobes. When the flowers first open, they are blue. Later, they turn white and have purple spots inside the tube. The outside of the petal tube has short hairs.

The bottom, middle part of the flower's petal is the largest. It is about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 6 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. There are four stamens (the parts that make pollen) that stick out a little bit from the end of the petal tube.

When Does it Flower?

Quoya cuneata flowers from August to November or December. After the flowers, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is round or oval-shaped, about 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.1 inches) across. The sepals stay attached to the fruit.

Where Does Quoya Cuneata Grow?

This plant grows in red sand. You can find it between the Murchison River and Shark Bay in Western Australia. It lives in several different natural areas, including Carnarvon, Geraldton Sandplains, Murchison, and Yalgoo.

Is Quoya Cuneata Endangered?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Quoya cuneata is "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.