Schenkia australis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Schenkia australis |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Schenkia
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| Species: |
australis
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The Schenkia australis is a type of small flowering plant. It's an annual herb, which means it usually lives for only one year. This plant is special because it's found only in Australia. It belongs to the Gentianaceae family, which includes many beautiful flowering plants.
What it Looks Like
Schenkia australis is a small plant, usually growing between 2 and 30 centimeters tall. That's about the height of a small ruler to a large ruler! Its flowers can be pink, red, or yellow, adding a splash of color to the places where it grows.
The Story of Its Name
Plants, like people, sometimes get new names! The Schenkia australis has had a few different scientific names over the years.
- First Name: In 1810, a scientist named Robert Brown first described this plant. He called it Erythraea australis.
- Name Change 1: Later, in 1917, another scientist thought it should be moved to a different group of plants called Centaurium. So, its name became Centaurium australe.
- Name Change 2: For a while, some scientists even thought it was just a type of another plant called Erythraea spicata.
- Back and Forth: It went back to being called Centaurium again.
Then, in 1996, scientists thought Centaurium australis was the same as another plant called Centaurium spicatum. But in 2004, they found strong evidence that the Australian plants were actually different from the European ones. They discovered that the Australian plants had a different number of chromosomes (they were "tetraploid"), while the European ones were "diploid." This meant they were not the same species after all!
Because of this discovery, the Centaurium group was split into four new groups. The Australian plants were then given their current name: Schenkia australis.
Even though the name has officially changed, some plant collections in Australia still use the older names. But the most up-to-date lists, like the Australian Plant Census, now use Schenkia australis.
Common Name Confusion
Because this plant was once thought to be the same as Centaurium spicatum, it was often called "Spike Centaury." Now that it has its own unique name, scientists are still deciding if it will keep that common name in Australia or get a new one.
Where it Grows
This plant is found only in Australia, which means it's "endemic" to that country. It grows across most of the mainland states. You can often find it in places with damp, sandy soils.
