Whitewood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitewood |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Atalaya
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| Species: |
hemiglauca
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The Whitewood (scientific name: Atalaya hemiglauca) is a type of plant often called cattle bush. It belongs to the soapberry family, which includes many different trees and shrubs. This plant grows naturally across a large part of northern and inland Australia. You can find it in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, and northern New South Wales.
Contents
What Does Whitewood Look Like?
The Whitewood plant can be a shrub or a small tree. It usually grows up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) tall, but sometimes it can reach 10 meters (about 33 feet). It has light grey bark.
Flowers and Fruits
From May to October, the Whitewood produces groups of creamy-colored flowers. After the flowers, it grows special fruits called samaras. These fruits are flat and winged, helping them to be carried by the wind. They are usually between 20 and 40 millimeters long.
Special Features
This plant is very tough! It can handle dry weather well. It also grows new shoots from its base, which helps it spread. Farmers often like Whitewood because it provides good shade for their livestock like cattle.
Where Does Whitewood Grow?
The Whitewood plant likes to grow in different types of soil, including sandy and clay soils. You can often find it on floodplains, which are flat areas near rivers that sometimes flood. It also grows on sandy ridges and in areas called pindan in Western Australia.
Australian Regions
In Western Australia, the Whitewood is found in several important natural areas. These include the Central Kimberley, Dampierland, Northern Kimberley, Ord Victoria Plain, and Victoria Bonaparte bioregions. Scientists use maps, like those from the Australian Virtual Herbarium, to track where plants like Whitewood have been found.
How Do People Use Whitewood?
The Arrernte people, who are Aboriginal people from Central Australia, have a special name for the Whitewood: Arlperrampwe. They use the tree gum that comes from the trunk and branches of the Atalaya hemiglauca.
Bushfood
The gum appears in large sticky blobs. Some of it drips down the tree. For bushfood, people collect this gum. They knead it until it becomes soft and then eat it. It's a traditional food source for them.
