''Stylidium semaphorum'' is a species that belongs to the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

Stylidium ''Stylidium'' (also known as triggerplants or trigger plants) is a genus of dicotyledonous plants that belong to the family Stylidiaceae. The genus name ''Stylidium'' is derived from the Greek ''στύλος'' or ''stylos'' (column or pillar), w ...

'' (family

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 shru ...

). The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''semaphorum'' is

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

for "sign-bearing" and refers to the flower shape, which appears to have to be positioned in a V-shape, a

semaphore Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when ar ...

code for "attention". It is an herbaceous

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

that grows 5–18 cm tall and has divided stems covered with tile-like leaves that are arranged in a spiral formation around the stem. The narrowly

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used ...

leaves are basifixed and held closely against the stems. The leaves are around 2.0–2.3 mm long and 0.5–0.7 mm wide. The terminal

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. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

s are spike-like

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

s and produce flowers that are pale pink or white and bloom from September to October in their native range. ''S. semaphorum'' is only known from its type location in south-western

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

. The only population recorded is within the bounds of a nature reserve. Because of its small population levels, the government has declared this species to be rare in the wild, which is similar to a status of threatened, vulnerable, or endangered. Its habitat is recorded as being

laterite Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...

gravel soils on a hill summit in the company with ''

Banksia sessilis ''Banksia sessilis'', commonly known as parrot bush, is a species of shrub or tree in the plant genus '' Banksia'' of the family Proteaceae. It had been known as ''Dryandra sessilis'' until 2007, when the genus '' Dryandra'' was sunk into ' ...

''. ''S. semaphorum'' is distinct within its subgenus because it possesses sepals with short brownish apical mucro.Lowrie, A. and Kenneally, K.F. (1997). A taxonomic review of ''Stylidium'' subgenus ''Forsteropsis'' (Stylidiaceae). ''Nuytsia'', 11(3): 353-364.

References

Carnivorous plants of Australia Eudicots of Western Australia semaphorum Asterales of Australia Plants described in 1997 {{Australia-asterid-stub

See also

References