Stylidium tenerum
Encyclopedia
Stylidium tenerum, the swamp triggerplant, is a dicotyledon
ous plant
that belongs to the genus
Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae
) that was described by Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel in 1826. Robert Brown
had described this species in 1810 under the name S. tenellum
, a name which had already been used for another species in 1805 by Olof Swartz
. To add to the confusion, Rica Erickson
had described and illustrated this taxon in 1958 under the name S. uliginosum
, another currently accepted name for a related species.
S. tenerum is an erect annual plant
that grows from 3 to 20 cm tall. Obovate
or orbicular leaves, about 4-10 per plant, form basal rosettes
. The leaves are generally 4-17.5 mm long and 3-8 mm wide. This species generally has one to seven scapes
and cymose inflorescence
s that are 3-20 cm long. Flowers are white. S. tenerum has a wide distribution ranging from eastern Queensland
and extreme northeastern New South Wales
up to the Wessel Islands
of the Northern Territory
in Australia
and has even been located in Papua New Guinea
. Its typical habitats include the sandy soils of creekbanks, seepage areas, and coastal lowlands in open Melaleuca
communities. It flowers in the southern hemisphere
from April to October.
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...
) that was described by Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel in 1826. Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
had described this species in 1810 under the name S. tenellum
Stylidium tenellum
Stylidium tenellum is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium . It is an annual plant that grows from 5 to 27 cm tall. The obovate or elliptical leaves, about 6-14 per plant, are scattered along the elongate, glabrous stem and are generally 3.5-8.5 mm long and...
, a name which had already been used for another species in 1805 by Olof Swartz
Olof Swartz
Olof Peter Swartz was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes...
. To add to the confusion, Rica Erickson
Rica Erickson
Frederica Lucy "Rica" Erickson AM, née Sandilands, was an Australian naturalist, botanical artist, historian, author and teacher. Without any formal scientific training, she wrote extensively on botany and birds, as well as genealogy and general history...
had described and illustrated this taxon in 1958 under the name S. uliginosum
Stylidium uliginosum
Stylidium uliginosum is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium and is one of the few species in the genus that is not native to Australia. It is an erect annual plant that grows from 4 to 15 cm tall. Obovate or elliptical leaves, about 7-16 per plant, form basal rosettes...
, another currently accepted name for a related species.
S. tenerum 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 3 to 20 cm tall. Obovate
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 orbicular leaves, about 4-10 per plant, form 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:...
. The leaves are generally 4-17.5 mm long and 3-8 mm wide. This species generally has one to seven scapes
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....
and 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 3-20 cm long. Flowers are white. S. tenerum has a wide distribution ranging from eastern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and extreme northeastern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
up to the Wessel Islands
Wessel Islands
The Wessel Islands are a group of islands belonging to the Northern Territory of Australia. They extend in a more or less straight line from Buckingham Bay and the Napier Peninsula of Arnhem Land, and Elcho Island, to the northeast. Marchinbar Island is the largest of the group...
of 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...
in 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 has even been located in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Its typical habitats include the sandy soils of creekbanks, seepage areas, and coastal lowlands in open Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
communities. 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 October.