Walukara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walukara |
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| Hakea rhombales in Kings Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hakea
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| Species: |
rhombales
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Hakea rhombales, also called walukara, is a type of bush. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. This plant has pretty red, pink, or purple flowers. It grows naturally only in Western Australia and the Northern Territory in Australia.
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About Walukara: What It Looks Like
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This bushy plant usually grows to be about 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) tall. It is often just as wide as it is tall. Walukara blooms between April and September. During this time, it shows off its beautiful red, pink, or purple flowers.
The young branches and new leaves have tiny, rusty-colored hairs. But as they get older, they become smooth. The leaves are long and thin, measuring about 6.5 to 23 centimeters (2.5 to 9 inches) long. They are only about 1.6 to 1.9 millimeters (0.06 to 0.07 inches) wide.
The flowers grow in upright groups, sometimes even on older parts of the plant. Each group has 10 to 16 flowers. The stalk that holds the flowers is about 7 to 11 millimeters (0.27 to 0.43 inches) long. The small stems holding each flower are about 6 millimeters (0.23 inches) long.
After the flowers, the plant produces fruits. These fruits are shaped like an egg, but a bit slanted. They are about 2.2 to 3.5 centimeters (0.8 to 1.3 inches) long and 1.6 to 2.3 centimeters (0.6 to 0.9 inches) wide. The fruits have black, bumpy spots and a jagged ridge on each side.
How Walukara Got Its Name
The plant Hakea rhombales was first officially described by a botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in 1876 in his book Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
The name rhombales comes from the Latin word rhombus. This word describes the shape of the wing on the plant's seed.
Where Walukara Grows
Walukara plants are found in different places across Australia. They grow in the Pilbara and Goldfields areas of Western Australia. You can find them on sand dunes, flat plains, and hillsides. They prefer to grow in sandy or loamy soils.
The plant's home range also stretches east into the Northern Territory. It grows as far as the Petermann Range there.
Walukara's Conservation Status
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Hakea rhombales. They have decided that this plant is "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
