Slender goodenia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slender goodenia |
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| Goodenia gracilis near Cecil Plains | |
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| Genus: |
Goodenia
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| Species: |
gracilis
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The Slender Goodenia (Goodenia gracilis) is a pretty flowering plant. It belongs to the Goodeniaceae family. This plant is special because it grows only in Australia. It can be an annual plant, meaning it lives for just one year. Or, it can be a perennial plant, living for more than two years. It's a type of herb with long, thin leaves. Its bright yellow flowers grow in clusters called racemes.
Contents
What the Slender Goodenia Looks Like
The Slender Goodenia is a herb. It usually grows up to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. Most of its leaves are found at the bottom of the plant. These leaves are long and thin, like a line or a small spear. They can be 5 to 17 millimeters long and 1 to 5 millimeters wide. Sometimes, the edges of the leaves have small teeth.
Flowers and Fruit
The bright yellow flowers grow in groups called racemes. These racemes can be quite long, from 30 to 200 millimeters. Each flower stem, called a peduncle, is usually 10 to 25 millimeters long. Small leaf-like parts called bracts, up to 20 millimeters long, are found at the base of the flower stems.
Each individual flower sits on a short stalk called a pedicel. These pedicels are 8 to 20 millimeters long. Even smaller bracts, called bracteoles, are found on these stalks. They are only 1 to 2 millimeters long.
The flower has small, narrow, triangular parts called sepals. They are about 1 to 1.4 millimeters long. The yellow petals are longer, about 7 to 10 millimeters. The lower parts of the flower's petals, called lobes, are 2.5 to 4 millimeters long. They have small "wings" that are about 1 millimeter wide.
This plant can flower in most months of the year. After flowering, it produces a fruit. This fruit is a round or oval-shaped capsule. It is about 3 to 6 millimeters long.
How It Got Its Name
The Slender Goodenia was first officially described in 1810. A famous botanist named Robert Brown gave it its scientific name. He wrote about it in his book, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.
The second part of its scientific name, gracilis, is a Latin word. It means "thin" or "slender." This name perfectly describes the plant's delicate look.
Where the Slender Goodenia Lives
You can find the Slender Goodenia growing in different parts of Australia. It likes heavy soil that holds a lot of moisture. This plant is found in the inland areas of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. You can also find it in a few places in the Northern Territory.
