Zieria caducibracteata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zieria caducibracteata |
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| Zieria caducibracteata growing near Milton and Lake Conjola | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Zieria
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| Species: |
caducibracteata
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Zieria caducibracteata is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. You can only find this plant growing naturally in New South Wales, Australia. It's a tall shrub or a small tree. Its leaves are made up of three parts, called leaflets, which look like spear tips. In early spring, you can see small white flowers with four petals growing in bunches near the ends of its branches.
Contents
What Does Zieria caducibracteata Look Like?
Zieria caducibracteata is a tall shrub or a small tree. It can grow up to about 6 m (20 ft) high. Its younger branches are covered with short, soft hairs.
Leaves of the Plant
The leaves of this plant are made of three separate leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like narrow ovals or spear tips. They are about 40–100 mm (2–4 in) long and 5–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) wide. Each leaf has a stalk that is about 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long. The top and bottom sides of the leaflets are different shades of green. The underside of the leaflets feels soft because it is covered with velvety hairs.
Flowers and How They Grow
The flowers grow in small groups that are shorter than the leaves. Each flower has its own small stalk, about 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. At the bottom of each flower group, there are one or two special leaf-like parts called bracts. These bracts are about 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long. However, they fall off early when the plant starts to flower.
The flower has triangular sepals, which are like small leaves that protect the bud. These sepals are about 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long and are also hairy. The four white petals are about 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and have short, soft hairs. Inside the flower, there are four stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. This plant usually flowers from late August to September.
How Was This Plant Named?
The plant Zieria caducibracteata was officially described for the first time in 2002. A scientist named James Andrew Armstrong gave it its formal description. He found a sample of the plant near the Princes Highway. This was between the towns of Milton and Lake Conjola. The description was then published in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of its scientific name, caducibracteata, tells us something special about the plant. This word comes from two Latin words. Caducus means "deciduous" or "falling off." Bractea means "scale" or "small leaf." So, the name refers to the bracts that fall off early from the flower clusters.
Where Does Zieria caducibracteata Live?
This type of zieria plant is found in New South Wales, Australia. It grows in the area between the Colo River and the Batemans Bay district. You can find it in forests and on the edges of rainforests. It prefers to grow in sandy soil, especially near steep slopes or cliffs, which are called escarpments.
