Scott River darwinia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scott River darwinia |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Darwinia
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| Species: |
ferricola
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The Scott River darwinia (scientific name: Darwinia ferricola) is a special type of plant that belongs to the myrtle family. It grows only in a small part of Western Australia. This plant is a round, bushy shrub with lots of branches. Its leaves are long and thin, and they grow close together, mostly on the younger branches. The flowers are a mix of greenish-yellow and red. They grow in groups at the ends of the branches. A long, thin white or reddish part, called a style, sticks out from the flower's petals.
What it Looks Like
The Scott River darwinia is a shrub that grows in a dense, bushy way. It can reach about 1.5 metres (5 ft) tall and 1 metre (3 ft) wide. Its newest branches are greenish-brown. Older branches feel rough because small parts of the leaf bases stay on them after the leaves fall off.
The leaves are packed tightly on the younger branches. Older branches usually don't have many leaves. The leaves are long and narrow, like a line. They are shaped like a triangle if you cut across them. They are also smooth, meaning they don't have hairs. Most leaves are about 2–5 millimetres (0.08–0.2 in) long, but they get a bit longer as they get older.
The flowers grow in groups of 20 to 40 at the ends of the branches. Each group of flowers is about 20–30 millimetres (0.8–1 in) wide. Layers of special leaves called bracts surround these flower groups. The outer bracts are green or reddish-green and about 5–7 millimetres (0.2–0.3 in) long. They are shorter than the actual flowers. The flower's petals are about 3 millimetres (0.1 in) long and 1–2 millimetres (0.04–0.08 in) wide. They cover the parts of the flower that make pollen and the lower part of the style. The style is often reddish and about 12–15 millimetres (0.5–0.6 in) long. It has a ring of tiny hairs near its tip. These plants usually flower in spring, but they can also bloom from late winter to early summer.
How it Got its Name
The Scott River darwinia was officially named Darwinia ferricola in 2009. It was named by a scientist named Greg Keighery. The name was published in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its scientific name, ferricola, comes from two Latin words. "Ferrum" means "iron," and "-cola" means "dweller" or "one who lives in." This name was chosen because the plant likes to grow in places where there is iron in the soil.
Where it Lives
This special darwinia plant is found only in one area called the Scott Coastal Plain. This area is located east of a town called Augusta in Western Australia. It grows in scrubland, which is a type of bushland, usually in sand or clay soil that has ironstone underneath it.
How it Lives
The Scott River darwinia is a plant that does not survive fires. However, after a fire, new plants can grow from seeds that were left in the ground. Birds help this plant by carrying its pollen from one flower to another, which helps the plant make new seeds. This process is called pollination.
Protecting the Plant
The Scott River darwinia is considered a "Threatened Flora" by the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means it's a rare plant that needs protection. A special plan has been made to help it survive.
The Australian Government also lists it as "Endangered" (EN) under a law called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing from the wild.
There are several things that threaten this plant:
- Mineral exploration: Searching for minerals in the ground can disturb its habitat.
- Grazing and trampling: Animals walking over and eating the plants can harm them.
- Dieback disease: This is a plant disease that can kill the plants.
Scientists have tried moving some Scott River darwinia plants to new locations, like old mine sites. This has worked well, even in places where the soil didn't seem very good. The plant can also grow new parts when wind-blown sand partly covers it. This helps it spread and survive in sandy areas.
