Hind's zieria facts for kids

Zieria hindii, also called Hind's zieria, is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. It grows only in a small part of north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. This plant is a tall, thin shrub with bumpy branches. Its leaves look a bit like a clover because they have three parts. When it blooms, it has small white flowers, each with four petals and four stamens. You can only find this unique plant in the Nightcap Range area.

What Does Hind's Zieria Look Like?

Hind's zieria is a tall, thin shrub. It usually grows to about 1 m (3 ft) (about 3 feet) high. Its branches are smooth, meaning they don't have hairs, but they are covered with small, warty bumps.

The leaves of this plant have three small parts, called leaflets. The middle leaflet is shaped like a narrow spear. It is about 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) (about 1 inch) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. The stem that connects the leaf to the branch, called a petiole, is 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) (about 0.2 to 0.4 inches) long.

The top side of the leaflets is dark green and smooth. It has tiny oil glands that look like dots. The underside of the leaves is a lighter green. It is covered with small hairs that look like tiny stars.

The flowers grow in groups of seven to thirteen. Sometimes, there can be as many as 35 flowers in one group! These groups grow where the leaves meet the stem. The small leaf-like parts under the flower, called sepals, are shaped like triangles. They are less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long and are mostly smooth.

Each flower has four petals. They are 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) (about 0.08 to 0.12 inches) long. The bases of the petals overlap each other. They are covered with tiny, star-shaped hairs. Each flower also has four stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen.

Hind's zieria flowers in spring and summer. After flowering, it produces fruits. These fruits are smooth, bumpy capsules, which are like small seed pods.

How Did Hind's Zieria Get Its Name?

The plant Zieria hindii was officially described in 2002. This means it was given its scientific name and details were written down. James Andrew Armstrong, a botanist, described it from a plant he found. He collected this plant in the Whian Whian State Forest, which is in the Nightcap Range. The description was then published in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany.

Where Does Hind's Zieria Live?

Hind's zieria is only found in one place: the Nightcap Range in New South Wales, Australia. This means it is endemic to that area. It likes to grow on rocky hillsides there.