Stylidium weeliwolli
Encyclopedia
Stylidium weeliwolli is a dicotyledon
ous plant
that belongs to the genus
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
). It occurs in the North West
of Western Australia
The specific epithet weeliwolli is Aboriginal Australian for "we are water running" or "running water", referring to the location where it was first discovered, Weeli Wolli Creek northwest of Newman
. It is most likely an annual plant
, though it has been reported to be a perennial
. It grows from 10 to 25 cm tall. The spathulate
or lanceolate leaves form a basal rosettes
around the white stems. The leaves are around 6.5–27 mm long (mostly 11–13 cm) and 3-4.5 mm wide. Inflorescence
s are branched, around 10–25 cm long and produce flowers that are dark pink with red markings at the base of the corolla lobes and bloom from August to September in their native range. The anterior corolla lobes of this species cross over one another forming an x-shape.
S. weeliwolli is only known from a few locations in northwestern Western Australia, but it is locally abundant at these locations. Its habitat is recorded as being sandy soils on watercourse edges, in wet areas, and a variety of other conditions in the presence of many companion plants. S. aceratum is most closely related to S. calcaratum
.
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 in the North West
North West Australia
The terms North West Australia, The North West and North Western Australia have been used as a regular label for the region of the North of Western Australia and the West of the Northern Territory.- Early 20th century gold rush:...
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 weeliwolli is Aboriginal Australian for "we are water running" or "running water", referring to the location where it was first discovered, Weeli Wolli Creek northwest of Newman
Newman, Western Australia
Newman, located about 1186 km north of Perth and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is a town in the Pilbara region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway...
. It is most likely 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...
, though it has been reported to be a perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
. It grows from 10 to 25 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...
or lanceolate 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 white stems. The leaves are around 6.5–27 mm long (mostly 11–13 cm) and 3-4.5 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 branched, around 10–25 cm long and produce flowers that are dark pink with red markings at the base of the corolla lobes and bloom from August to September in their native range. The anterior corolla lobes of this species cross over one another forming an x-shape.
S. weeliwolli is only known from a few locations in northwestern Western Australia, but it is locally abundant at these locations. Its habitat is recorded as being sandy soils on watercourse edges, in wet areas, and a variety of other conditions in the presence of many companion plants. S. aceratum is most closely related to 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...
.