Scaevola browniana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scaevola browniana |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Scaevola (plant)
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| Species: |
browniana
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Scaevola browniana is a type of shrub, which is a small, bushy plant. It belongs to the plant family called Goodeniaceae. You can find this plant growing naturally in parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland in Australia.
Contents
About the Plant
Scaevola browniana is a shrub that can grow up to 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall. Its leaves do not have stalks; they attach directly to the stem. The leaves are shaped like a wide oval or a rectangle. They usually have smooth edges and are covered with soft, silky hairs, especially where they meet the stem.
The leaves are usually between 6 and 55 millimeters (about 0.2 to 2 inches) long. They are also 2 to 17 millimeters (about 0.08 to 0.7 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Scaevola browniana grow in long spikes at the end of the branches. These spikes can be up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long. Each flower has small, leaf-like parts called bracts and bracteoles. The bracts are narrow and pointed, while the bracteoles are small and linear or oval.
The flowers themselves can be blue or white. They are 5 to 18 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.7 inches) long. The outside of the flower has straight, silky hairs. The inside of the flower is also hairy, like a beard.
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is shaped like a cylinder and looks a bit wrinkled. It is 3 to 5 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) long and usually contains one seed.
When it Flowers
In Western Australia, you can see Scaevola browniana flowering from January to October. In the Northern Territory, it flowers from January to September. It has been found with fruit in March, May, and September.
Similar Plants
Scaevola browniana looks a lot like another plant called S. revoluta. However, S. browniana has narrower bracteoles. It also does not have the long, eyelash-like hairs that S. revoluta has on its bracts and bracteoles.
Subspecies
There are two main types, or subspecies, of Scaevola browniana. They are named Scaevola browniana subspecies browniana and Scaevola browniana subspecies grandior.
Where it Grows
Scaevola browniana is found in several parts of Australia.
In Western Australia, it grows in areas like the Little Sandy Desert, Ord Victoria Plain, and Pilbara. It is also found in the Victoria Bonaparte region.
In the Northern Territory, you can find it in places such as the Arnhem Plateau, Gulf Fall and Uplands, and Pine Creek. It also grows in the Sturt Plateau and Tanami regions.
Information about specific growing regions in Queensland is not available.
How it Was Named
The plant Scaevola browniana was first officially described in 1990. This was done by a botanist named Roger Charles Carolin. He wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea.
The name of the plant's group, Scaevola, comes from a Latin word. It means "left-handed." This refers to an ancient Roman hero named Gaius Mucius Scaevola. He was famous for being left-handed. The flowers of this plant are shaped a bit like a hand, which is why they got this name.
The second part of the name, browniana, honors a famous botanist named Robert Brown.
