Zieria insularis facts for kids

Zieria insularis is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. It only grows in a specific part of tropical north-eastern Queensland, Australia. This plant is a bit like a tall, thin bush with branches that spread out. It has leaves made of three parts and small white flowers. These flowers have four petals and four stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. You can usually find this plant growing near rocky areas made of granite, often surrounded by thick forests or rainforests.

What Zieria insularis Looks Like

Zieria insularis is an open, spreading shrub. It can grow up to 2 m (7 ft) (about 6.5 feet) tall. Its branches are thin and wiry, covered with long, soft hairs.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are made of three smaller parts, called leaflets. These leaflets can be oval-shaped or narrow and pointed. The main leaflet is about 8–21 mm (0.3–0.8 in) (0.3 to 0.8 inches) long and 2–6 mm (0.08–0.2 in) (0.08 to 0.2 inches) wide. The top side of the leaflets is mostly smooth, while the bottom side has a few hairs.

The flowers are white and grow either alone or in small groups where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower sits on a stalk that is about 5–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) (0.2 to 0.8 inches) long. The small leaf-like parts under the flower, called sepals, are triangular and about 1 mm (0.04 in) (0.04 inches) long and wide. The four petals are oval-shaped, about 3 mm (0.1 in) (0.12 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 in) (0.06 inches) wide. They have tiny, star-shaped hairs on both sides. The four stamens, which hold the pollen, are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long.

When it Flowers and Fruits

Zieria insularis flowers from January to July. After flowering, it produces a fruit. This fruit is a dry pod, called a capsule, which is about 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) (0.08 inches) wide. It is mostly smooth.

Naming the Plant

This plant was officially named Zieria insularis in 2007. It was described by two scientists, Marco Duretto and Paul Forster. They found a sample of the plant in the Mount Windsor National Park, which is next to the Daintree National Park. Their description was published in a science journal called Austrobaileya.

The second part of its name, insularis, comes from a Latin word meaning "of islands." This name was chosen because the plant often grows near "islands" of granite rock.

Where Zieria insularis Lives

This special zieria plant grows in specific places in Queensland, Australia. You can find it near granite rock formations that are surrounded by thick rainforests. It also grows on granite ridges in more open forest areas. So far, it has only been found in the Mount Windsor tableland and the nearby Daintree National Park.