Wongan philotheca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wongan philotheca |
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Philotheca
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sericea
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The Philotheca wonganensis, also known as the Wongan philotheca, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which includes citrus fruits. This plant is special because it is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It grows as a small bush with thin, round leaves and pretty white flowers that have a pink stripe in the middle. These flowers usually grow one by one where the leaves join the stem.
What It Looks Like
The Wongan philotheca is a shrub, which means it's a woody plant smaller than a tree. It usually grows up to about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its branches have a corky feel. The leaves are thin and scattered along the stems. They look like needles, about 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. Sometimes, they have small, wart-like bumps that are actually glands. The top surface of the leaves has a small groove or channel.
The flowers are quite delicate. They grow by themselves where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a thin, club-shaped stalk about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long. The flower has five sepals, which are like small, broad, egg-shaped leaves about 1 millimeter long that protect the bud. It also has five white petals that are about 5 millimeters long. These petals can be oblong (longer than wide) or elliptical (oval-shaped) and have a clear pink stripe down the middle. Inside the flower, there are ten stamens (the parts that make pollen) that are separate from each other. They form a pyramid shape above the ovary, which is where the seeds will grow. This plant flowers from August to October. After flowering, it produces a small fruit, about 3 millimeters long, with a short, pointed tip.
How It Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1982 by a scientist named Paul G. Wilson. He first called it Eriostemon wonganensis. He wrote about it in a science journal called Nuytsia. The plant specimens he used for his description were collected by Kevin Kenneally in 1980, near a town called Wongan Hills. That's where the "wonganensis" part of its name comes from! Later, in 1998, Paul Wilson changed its name to Philotheca wonganensis in the same journal.
Where It Lives
The Wongan philotheca grows in areas with dense shrubland and woodland. This means it likes places where there are many bushes and trees, often with smaller shrubs growing underneath. It is only found in four specific locations within the Shire of Wongan–Ballidu area, which is in the south-west of Western Australia.
Looking After This Plant
The Wongan philotheca is a very special plant, but it is also in danger. The Australian Government has listed it as "endangered" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This means there are very few of these plants left, and they are at high risk of disappearing forever. The Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia also lists it as "Threatened Flora."
The biggest problem for this plant is that not enough new plants are growing. This is called "poor recruitment." It means that the seeds might not be sprouting well, or young plants might not be surviving to grow into adult plants. Protecting its habitat and helping new plants grow are important steps to keep the Wongan philotheca from becoming extinct.
