Thomasia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thomasia |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Thomasia pygmaea | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Byttnerioideae |
| Tribe: | Lasiopetaleae |
| Genus: | Thomasia J.Gay |
| Species | |
|
See text. |
|
Thomasia is a group of thirty-one different kinds of flowering plants. These plants belong to the Malvaceae family, which also includes plants like hibiscus and cotton. Thomasia plants are usually small shrubs.
Most Thomasia plants are found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means they are endemic there, which means they naturally grow only in that specific area. However, one type, called Thomasia petalocalyx, also grows in Victoria and South Australia.
These plants have simple leaves, meaning each leaf is just one piece. At the bottom of the leaf stalk (called a petiole), there are small, leaf-like parts called stipules. The flowers of Thomasia plants have both male and female parts, so they are called bisexual. They usually have five papery, petal-like parts called sepals, and often five true petals. They also have five stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. After the flower blooms, it forms a fruit called a capsule. This capsule is covered with tiny, star-shaped hairs.
About Thomasia Plants
How Thomasia Got Its Name
The group of plants known as Thomasia was first officially described in 1821. This was done by a person named Jaques Étienne Gay. He wrote about it in a scientific book called Mémoires du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle.
The name Thomasia was chosen to honor a family of plant collectors from Switzerland. This family included Pierre Thomas, his son Abraham, and Abraham's sons Philippe, Louis, and Emmanuel. They were all very important in collecting and studying plants.
Types of Thomasia Species
The following is a list of Thomasia species. These are all recognized by the Australian Plant Census as of December 2020. This list helps scientists keep track of all the different kinds of Thomasia plants.
- Thomasia angustifolia Steud. - narrow-leaved thomasia
- Thomasia brachystachys Turcz.
- Thomasia cognata Steud.
- Thomasia dielsii E.Pritz.
- Thomasia discolor Steud.
- Thomasia foliosa J.Gay
- Thomasia × formosa Paust
- Thomasia gardneri Paust - Mount Holland thomasia
- Thomasia glabripetala S.J.Patrick
- Thomasia grandiflora Lindl. - large-flowered thomasia
- Thomasia macrocalyx Steud.
- Thomasia macrocarpa Endl. - large-fruited thomasia
- Thomasia microphylla Paust
- Thomasia montana Steud. - hill thomasia
- Thomasia multiflora E.Pritz.
- Thomasia paniculata Lindl.
- Thomasia pauciflora Lindl. - few-flowered thomasia
- Thomasia petalocalyx F.Muell. - paper flower
- Thomasia purpurea (Dryand.) J.Gay
- Thomasia pygmaea (Turcz.) Benth. - tiny thomasia
- Thomasia quercifolia (Andrews) J.Gay - oak-leaved thomasia
- Thomasia rhynchocarpa Turcz.
- Thomasia rugosa Turcz. - wrinkle-leaf thomasia
- Thomasia rulingioides Steud.
- Thomasia sarotes Turcz.
- Thomasia solanacea (Sims) J.Gay
- Thomasia stelligera (Turcz.) Benth.
- Thomasia tenuivestita F.Muell.
- Thomasia tremandroides Paust
- Thomasia triloba Turcz.
- Thomasia triphylla (Labill.) J.Gay
See also
In Spanish: Thomasia para niños
