Silvery phebalium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silvery phebalium |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phebalium
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| Species: |
bullatum
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| Synonyms | |
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Phebalium glandulosum var. bullatum (J.M.Black) Court |
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The Silvery Phebalium (Phebalium bullatum) is a special kind of shrub. It's known for its shiny, silvery look! This plant grows only in certain parts of southern Australia. It has narrow leaves and pretty yellow flowers that grow in small bunches. People sometimes call it the desert phebalium or sand phebalium.
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What Does the Silvery Phebalium Look Like?
The Silvery Phebalium is a shrub that can grow up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall. It's covered in tiny, shiny, silvery scales, which is how it gets its name! Even its small branches have bumpy spots called glands.
Its leaves are thick and shaped like a narrow rectangle or a wedge. They are about 6 to 12 millimeters long (less than half an inch) and 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide. They sit on a short stem called a petiole. If you cut a leaf, it would look like a "V" shape. The top of the leaf is smooth (this is called glabrous) and has a groove. The bottom is rounded and covered with those silvery scales.
Flowers of the Silvery Phebalium
The flowers are yellow and grow in small groups called umbels, with about six flowers in each group. Each flower sits on a tiny stalk called a pedicel, which is about 5 millimeters long.
The green part that holds the flower petals is called the calyx. It's shaped like half a ball and is about 1.5 millimeters long. It has small, triangular teeth. The petals are broadly oval-shaped, about 3 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide. They also have silvery scales on their backs. This plant usually blooms from August to October.
How the Silvery Phebalium Got Its Name
The Silvery Phebalium, Phebalium bullatum, was first officially described in 1916. A scientist named John McConnell Black wrote about it. His description was published in a science journal called Transactions and proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.
Where Does the Silvery Phebalium Live?
You can find the Silvery Phebalium growing in sandy soils. It likes areas with mallee scrub. Mallee is a type of bushland where many eucalyptus trees grow with multiple stems from the ground. This plant grows between the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and north-western Victoria.
