Tremandra diffusa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tremandra diffusa |
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Tremandra diffusa is a type of flowering plant that belongs to the family called Elaeocarpaceae. It is a small shrub known for its pretty white flowers and green, oval-shaped leaves.
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What Does Tremandra Diffusa Look Like?
Tremandra diffusa is a small, spreading shrub. It usually grows to be about 5 to 30 centimeters (2 to 12 inches) tall.
Leaves and Flowers
Its leaves are dark green and shaped like a wide egg. They are typically 6 to 18 millimeters (about 0.2 to 0.7 inches) long and 4 to 15 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.6 inches) wide. The top of the leaves is mostly smooth. The underside has tiny, star-shaped hairs. Sometimes, the edges of the leaves have small teeth. Each leaf has a short stalk, called a petiole, which is about 1 millimeter long.
The plant produces small, white flowers that can be up to 8 millimeters (about 0.3 inches) wide. These flowers have pale anthers, which are the parts that hold pollen. Each flower grows on a thin stalk, called a pedicel, which can sometimes be longer than the leaves.
Fruit and Flowering Time
After flowering, the plant forms a fruit that looks like a hairy, double capsule. This means it's a dry fruit that splits open to release seeds. Tremandra diffusa usually blooms from September to January.
How Was Tremandra Diffusa Named?
The plant Tremandra diffusa was first officially described in 1824. This description was made by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. He used notes from an earlier, unpublished description by Robert Brown. De Candolle's description was then published in a book called Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of its scientific name, diffusa, comes from a Latin word. Diffusus means "spread out" or "extended." This name likely refers to how the plant grows, as it tends to spread out along the ground.
Where Does Tremandra Diffusa Grow?
Tremandra diffusa is found in the southwest part of Western Australia. It grows in flat areas, on rocky outcrops, and along the sides of roads. You can find it in different types of soil, including loam, sand, and lateritic soil, which is a reddish soil rich in iron.
