Sandfly zieria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sandfly zieria |
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| Near the Gibraltar Range National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Zieria
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| Species: |
smithii
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The Sandfly Zieria (Zieria smithii) is a cool plant from the citrus family, called Rutaceae. You can find it only in eastern and south-eastern Australia. It's also known as lanoline bush or Smithian zieria.
This plant is a strong bush with leaves made of three smaller parts, called leaflets. Its flowers are white and have four petals. They usually grow in groups that are shorter than the leaves. The Sandfly Zieria is very common along the coast and in nearby mountain ranges.
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What Does Sandfly Zieria Look Like?
The Sandfly Zieria is a type of bush that usually grows about 1–2 m (3–7 ft) tall. Sometimes it's a strong, bushy plant, and other times it can be a bit thin.
Its leaves are special because each one is made up of three smaller leaf parts, called leaflets. The middle leaflet is shaped like a long oval, about 20–45 mm (0.8–2 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide, with a pointy tip. The top side of the leaflets is a darker green than the bottom. They have tiny oil dots and are mostly smooth. The stalk that holds the leaf is about 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. If you crush the leaves, they smell very strong!
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers are usually white and grow in groups of up to 60. These groups appear where the leaves meet the stem, and they are shorter than the leaves themselves. Each flower is about 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) across.
Around the petals, there are four small, triangle-shaped parts called sepals, which are about 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) long. The four petals are 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long and feel a little bit fuzzy. Like other zieria plants, it only has four stamens, which are the parts that make pollen.
The Sandfly Zieria flowers in autumn and spring. After the flowers, it grows a fruit called a capsule. This capsule has three or four sections, and each section holds one or two seeds. These seeds are reddish-brown to black and have stripes.
How it Got its Name
The Sandfly Zieria was first officially described in 1810 by a botanist named George Jackson. He wrote about it in a book called The Botanist's Repository for New, and Rare Plants.
The second part of its scientific name, smithii, was chosen to honor James Edward Smith. He was the person who first created the group of plants called Zieria.
Where Sandfly Zieria Grows
This type of zieria grows in different parts of Australia. You can find it in Queensland, as far north as the Atherton Tableland. It also grows south through areas like the Brigalow Belt, Scenic Rim, and Northern Tablelands.
It's very common along the coast and in the mountain ranges of New South Wales. However, it's not as common in Victoria. The Sandfly Zieria can grow in many different places, but it likes to be on the edge of rainforests, often in rocky areas.
