Kangaroo Paws The
biennial red and green kangaroo paw is the floral
emblem of Western Australia. What really catches
the eye is the plants green unscented flowers that
can grow up to 10 centimeters long. The green furry
flowers are attached to the sturdy red stem. The
sturdy stem makes a perfect perch for many birds,
and can grow to a meter high. Honey eaters or
wattle birds, the pollinators of the plant, are
often seen perched drinking the plant's nectar. The
stem is attached to the green flattened basal
leaves.The leaves of the plant are usually about 30
to 60 centimeters long. The kangaroo paw was given
it's name because of the plants bright red ovary
and its paw shaped flowers. The red and
green kangaroo paw only occurs naturally in
southwest Western Australia. The specific spots are
from The red and green kangaroo paw's adaptations are tiny wooly hairs on its flowers. The little hairs help by making it taste weird to predators, so they won't eat it. The little hairs also help by holding on to water because it grows in a dry climate. It also has adapted by having a sturdy stem for its pollinators to perch on. The red and green kangaroo paw makes a great plant for the home garden because of its unusual shape and bright colors. They also make great cut flowers because they last long in water. It is also exported to various places around the world. In the U.S.A., Israel, and Japan they are grown commercially. by Celeste B. 2001
bibliography: "Plants and Animals Red and Green Kangaroo Paw", http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plantsanimals/flowerkangaroopaw.html, (11/2/00) "Floral Emblem of the State of Western Australia", http://ww.mpc.wa.gov.au/emblems/floral.html, (11/2/00) "Kangaroo Paws", http://155.187.10.12/anigozantos/index.html, (11/1/00) "Mangles' Kangaroo Paw", http://www.anlog.gov.au/emblems/wa.emblem.html, (11/5/00) |