Triunia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Triunia |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Subfamily: | Grevilleoideae |
| Tribe: | Roupaleae |
| Genus: | Triunia L.A.S.Johnson & B.G.Briggs (1975) |
| Type species | |
| Triunia youngiana |
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Triunia is a genus of plants that grow as medium to tall shrubs or small trees. You can find them in the rainforests of eastern Australia. They usually grow under taller trees. These plants are part of the Proteaceae family, which includes other well-known plants like macadamias.
A special thing about Triunia plants is their fruits. They have fleshy, round fruits called drupes, but these fruits are poisonous. So, it's important not to eat them! Out of all the different Triunia types, only one, called T. youngiana, is often grown in gardens.
Contents
What is Triunia?
Triunia plants are shrubs or small trees. Their leaves are simple and green. They are shaped like an oval or an egg, wider at the top. When new leaves grow, they are covered in reddish hairs.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Triunia plants are very fragrant. They grow in long clusters at the ends of branches. These clusters are called racemes. After the flowers bloom, small, round, red fruits appear. Remember, these fruits are very toxic and should not be eaten. Inside the fruits are round seeds.
Where Triunia Plants Live
Triunia plants naturally grow only in eastern Australia. You can find them from Dorrigo in New South Wales up to the Wet Tropics rainforests in north-eastern Queensland. They prefer to live in rainforests that are in uplands and mountains. Here, they grow as part of the understorey, which means they are the plants that grow beneath the main tree canopy.
Two types of Triunia grow in south-eastern Queensland. One of these also grows further south into north-eastern New South Wales. The other two types are found much further north. They grow about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) away in the mountain rainforests of the Wet Tropics region in north-eastern Queensland.
How Scientists Classify Triunia
Scientists who study plants are called botanists. They group plants together based on how they are related. This is called taxonomy. The genus Triunia was first described in 1975 by two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Barbara G. Briggs.
Before this, the plants in Triunia were thought to be a part of another group called Macadamiopsis. This group was a subgenus of Helicia. But Johnson and Briggs decided they were different enough to be their own genus, Triunia. They chose T. youngiana as the type species. This means T. youngiana is the example that defines the whole Triunia group.
Triunia is now placed in a larger group called the Roupaleae tribe. Its closest plant relative is Eucarpha, which comes from New Caledonia.
Types of Triunia Plants
There are four known types of Triunia plants:
- Triunia erythrocarpa – This type is only found in the Wet Tropics of north-eastern Queensland.
- Triunia montana – This type also grows only in the Wet Tropics mountains of north-eastern Queensland.
- Triunia robusta – This type is found only in a small area of south-east Queensland.
- Triunia youngiana – This is the most common type. It grows from north-east New South Wales up to south-east Queensland. It is also the type species for the genus.
Growing Triunia Plants
People can grow Triunia plants in their gardens. They make attractive garden shrubs. Their leaves, flowers, and fruits are all pretty to look at. These plants are quite tough. They can grow well in heavy shade or even in full sun.
To grow them successfully, they need soil that drains water well. This means the soil shouldn't stay too wet. You can start new Triunia plants in two ways: by planting their seeds or by taking cuttings from an existing plant.
See also
In Spanish: Triunia para niños
