Zieria obovata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zieria obovata |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Zieria
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| Species: |
obovata
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| Synonyms | |
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Zieria aspalathoides var. obovata (C.T.White) |
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The Zieria obovata is a special plant that belongs to the citrus family called Rutaceae. You can only find it growing naturally in Queensland, Australia. This plant is a small, open shrub. It has leaves made up of three small parts, called leaflets. Its flowers are usually cream-coloured or light pink. Each flower has four petals and four stamens (the parts that make pollen). You'll often find Zieria obovata on steep, rocky hillsides in wet, open forests.
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What Does Zieria obovata Look Like?
Zieria obovata is an open shrub that can grow up to about 1 m (3 ft) tall. Its branches are quite hairy, especially when they are young. The leaves are made of three small, egg-shaped leaflets. The wider part of the leaflet is at the top, and the thinner part is at the base. The tiny stem that connects the leaflet to the branch (called a petiole) is either missing or very short, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The middle leaflet is usually 6–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide.
The top side of the leaves is a dark green and feels smooth (this is called glabrous). The underside is a lighter green and has tiny hairs. The flowers are cream-coloured or light pink. They grow either by themselves or in small groups of up to three flowers. These groups appear where a leaf meets the stem (this spot is called a leaf axil). The flower groups are longer than the leaves and have a hairy stalk that is 3–28 mm (0.1–1 in) long.
Small, leaf-like parts called bracts surround the flowers. The four triangular sepals (which protect the flower bud) are very small, about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long. The four petals are 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long. Like other plants in the Zieria group, this plant only has four stamens. Zieria obovata mostly flowers from September to March. After flowering, it produces a fruit called a follicle, which is also mostly smooth.
How Zieria obovata Got Its Name
This type of Zieria was first officially described in 1942 by a scientist named Cyril Tenison White. He first called it Zieria aspalathoides var. obovata. He published his description in a scientific paper called Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. He studied a plant sample that was found near Herberton.
Later, in 2002, another scientist named James Armstrong decided that this plant was special enough to be its own species. So, he changed its name to Zieria obovata. The second part of its scientific name, obovata, comes from two Latin words. The word ovata means "egg-shaped", and the prefix ob- means "towards". This describes the shape of its leaflets.
Where Zieria obovata Lives
Zieria obovata likes to grow in wet, open forests. It often prefers steep, rocky slopes made of granite. You can find this plant in only two small areas. Both of these areas are within 10 km (6 mi) of the town of Herberton in Queensland.
Protecting Zieria obovata
This special Zieria plant is listed as "Endangered." This means it is at a high risk of disappearing forever. It is protected under two important laws: Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act.
The biggest danger to Zieria obovata's survival is something called stochastic events. This means random, unexpected events like a big bushfire, a severe drought, or a sudden disease outbreak. Because this plant only grows in a very small area, these random events can have a huge impact and threaten its existence. Protecting its habitat is very important to help this unique plant survive.
