Stylidium aceratum
Encyclopedia
Stylidium aceratum is a dicotyledon
ous plant
that belongs to the genus
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
). It occurs within the south west
region of Western Australia
The specific epithet aceratum is Greek
for "lacking horn", referring to absence of an appendage that is present in other species on the bend of the gynostemium. It is an annual plant
that grows from 5 to 9 cm tall. The spathulate
leaves form a basal rosettes
around the translucent white stem. The leaves are around 3–6 mm long and 0.3-0.6 mm wide. Inflorescence
s are around 5–9 cm long and produce flowers that are dark pink and bloom from October to November in their native range. S. aceratum is only known from the type location
, which is north of Bullsbrook
, Western Australia. Its habitat is recorded as being sandy soils in swampy heathland
. It grows in the presence of S. calcaratum
and S. utricularioides. S. aceratum is most closely related to S. calcaratum, both of which have a chromosome number of n=11.
Dicotyledon
The dicotyledons, also known as dicots, are a group of flowering plants whose seed typically has two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. There are around 199,350 species within this group...
ous plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
that belongs to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
Stylidiaceae
The family Stylidiaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It consists of five genera with over 240 species, most of which are endemic to Australia and New Zealand. Members of Stylidiaceae are typically grass-like herbs or small shrubs and can be perennials or annuals...
). It occurs within the south west
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
The specific epithet aceratum is Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
for "lacking horn", referring to absence of an appendage that is present in other species on the bend of the gynostemium. It is an annual plant
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
that grows from 5 to 9 cm tall. The spathulate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
leaves form a basal rosettes
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
around the translucent white stem. The leaves are around 3–6 mm long and 0.3-0.6 mm wide. Inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are around 5–9 cm long and produce flowers that are dark pink and bloom from October to November in their native range. S. aceratum is only known from the type location
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
, which is north of Bullsbrook
Bullsbrook, Western Australia
Bullsbrook is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia in the outer metropolitan area. It is located with the City of Swan. The original Bullsbrook townsite is located slightly west of the current town, on the 17 km mark of the Midland Railway...
, Western Australia. Its habitat is recorded as being sandy soils in swampy heathland
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
. It grows in the presence of S. calcaratum
Stylidium calcaratum
Stylidium calcaratum, the book triggerplant, is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium . It is an ephemeral annual that grows from 5 to 10 cm tall but can grow larger at 20–30 cm tall in damp forest or scrub habitat. The few ovate leaves produced by this plant form...
and S. utricularioides. S. aceratum is most closely related to S. calcaratum, both of which have a chromosome number of n=11.