Stylidium tenerrimum
Encyclopedia
Stylidium tenerrimum is a dicotyledon
ous plant
that belongs to the genus
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
). It is an erect annual plant
that grows from 4 to 30 cm tall. Linear
, oblanceolate, or deltate leaves, about 5-24 per plant, are scattered along the stems. The leaves are generally 1.2-4.8 mm long and 0.3-0.8 mm wide. This species lacks a scape
but has cymose inflorescence
s that are 4-11 cm long. Flowers are white and red. S. tenerrimum is found around Darwin
in the Northern Territory
of Australia
and the Victoria River, though it hasn't been recollected there since the type location was chosen. Its typical habitat is sandy soils that remain moist, associated with grasses and sedges. It flowers in the southern hemisphere
from April to August. S. tenerrimum is most closely related to S. alsinoides
, though it differs by its asymmetrical petals. In his revision of the subgenus Andersonia in 2000, A.R. Bean placed S. evolutum into synonymy
and noted that the type specimen
of S. mitrasacmoides was not located and thus the application of this synonym is not certain. Tony Bean assessed this species' conservation status
as data deficient
in 2000.
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 is an erect 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 4 to 30 cm tall. Linear
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
, oblanceolate, or deltate leaves, about 5-24 per plant, are scattered along the stems. The leaves are generally 1.2-4.8 mm long and 0.3-0.8 mm wide. This species lacks a scape
Scape (botany)
In botany, scapes are leafless flowering stems that rise from the ground. Scapes can have a single flower or many flowers, depending on the species....
but has cymose 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 that are 4-11 cm long. Flowers are white and red. S. tenerrimum is found around Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Victoria River, though it hasn't been recollected there since the type location was chosen. Its typical habitat is sandy soils that remain moist, associated with grasses and sedges. It flowers in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
from April to August. S. tenerrimum is most closely related to S. alsinoides
Stylidium alsinoides
Stylidium alsinoides is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium . It is an erect annual plant that grows from 18 to 30 cm tall. Obovate or elliptical leaves, about 20–100 per plant, are scattered along the elongate, glabrous stems. The leaves are generally...
, though it differs by its asymmetrical petals. In his revision of the subgenus Andersonia in 2000, A.R. Bean placed S. evolutum into synonymy
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
and noted that the type specimen
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
of S. mitrasacmoides was not located and thus the application of this synonym is not certain. Tony Bean assessed this species' conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
as data deficient
Data Deficient
Data Deficient is a category applied by the IUCN, other agencies, and individuals to a species when the available information is not sufficient for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made...
in 2000.