Zieria montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zieria montana |
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| Zieria montana leaves and flowers | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Zieria
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| Species: |
montana
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Zieria montana is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family, called Rutaceae. It only grows in a small part of southeast Queensland, Australia. This plant is a shrub, which means it's a woody plant smaller than a tree. It has rough branches with ridges, and its leaves are made up of three smaller parts called leaflets. In spring and early summer, you can see its pretty white flowers, which have four petals.
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What Does Zieria montana Look Like?
Zieria montana is a shrub that can grow up to 2.5 m (8 ft) tall. It has straight, thin branches with clear ridges. Its leaves are made of three small parts, called leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like an oval or an egg.
The middle leaflet is usually 20–45 mm (0.8–2 in) long and 10–17 mm (0.4–0.7 in) wide. Each leaf has a stalk about 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. The leaflets are smooth and hairless, except for a few hairs on the underside along the main vein.
Flowers of Zieria montana
The flowers of Zieria montana are white, sometimes with a touch of pink. They grow in groups of 10 to 20 flowers. These groups appear where the leaves meet the stem, called the leaf axil. Each flower has a small stalk about 1.5–4 mm (0.06–0.2 in) long.
The flowers have four small, egg-shaped parts called sepals, which are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. They also have four petals, which are about 4 mm (0.2 in) long. Like other plants in the Zieria group, this plant only has four stamens (the parts that make pollen). You can see these flowers from September to December.
How Zieria montana Got Its Name
The plant Zieria montana was officially described in 2002. This was done by a scientist named James Armstrong. He published his description in a scientific journal called Australian Systematic Botany.
The second part of its name, montana, is a Latin word. It means "of mountains." This name was chosen because the plant often grows in mountain areas.
Where Does Zieria montana Live?
This special Zieria plant is found in the Mount Barney National Park area. It grows in open, shrubby areas called heathlands. You can often find it near rocky outcrops, which are areas where rocks stick out of the ground.
Why Is Zieria montana Vulnerable?
Zieria montana is listed as "Vulnerable" under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means the plant is at risk of disappearing if we don't protect it.
The biggest dangers to this plant are fires that happen too often. Another threat is people walking on the plants, which can damage them. Protecting its habitat and managing fires carefully are important steps to help Zieria montana survive.
