Levenhookia stipitata
Encyclopedia
Levenhookia stipitata, the common stylewort, is a dicotyledon
ous plant
that belongs to the genus
Levenhookia
(family Stylidiaceae
). It is an ephemeral
annual
that grows about 7 to 10 cm tall with oblanceolate
to linear leaves. Flowers are pink and bloom from August to January in its native range. L. stipitata is endemic to southwestern Western Australia
where it grows in granitic or lateritic soils. This species was first described by George Bentham
in 1837 as Stylidium stipitatum and was later reclassified into the genus Coleostylis, which was placed into synonymy with the genus Levenhookia.
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...
Levenhookia
Levenhookia
Levenhookia, also known as the styleworts, is a genus of ten recognized species in the family Stylidiaceae and is endemic to Australia. The genus is restricted to Western Australia almost exclusively with a few exceptions: L. pusillas range extends into South Australia, L. dubias range extends...
(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 is an ephemeral
Ephemeral Plant
An ephemeral plant is one marked by short life cycles, usually six to eight weeks. The word ephemeral means transitory or quickly fading. In regards to plants, it refers to several distinct growth strategies...
annual
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 about 7 to 10 cm tall with oblanceolate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
to linear leaves. Flowers are pink and bloom from August to January in its native range. L. stipitata is endemic to southwestern 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...
where it grows in granitic or lateritic soils. This species was first described by George Bentham
George Bentham
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
in 1837 as Stylidium stipitatum and was later reclassified into the genus Coleostylis, which was placed into synonymy with the genus Levenhookia.