Levenhookia

Levenhookia, also known as the styleworts, is a genus of ten recognized species in the family <a href="/facts/Stylidiaceae/1WxntFY9">Stylidiaceae</a> and is <a href="/facts/Endemism/xt4IpIsl">endemic</a> to <a href="/facts/Australia/qLHpbppq">Australia</a>. The genus is restricted to <a href="/facts/Western_Australia/1ouCbwNh">Western Australia</a> almost exclusively with a few exceptions: <a href="/facts/Levenhookia_pusilla/b2bhpD80">L. pusilla</a>'s range extends into <a href="/facts/South_Australia/R7UdxV97">South Australia</a>, <a href="/facts/Levenhookia_dubia/d1sKjcTu">L. dubia</a>'s range extends through South Australia into <a href="/facts/Victoria_(Australia)/76P2nqtz">Victoria</a> and <a href="/facts/New_South_Wales/aW7eJXSS">New South Wales</a>, <a href="/facts/Levenhookia_sonderi/dFDmGh2A">L. sonderi</a> is native only to Victoria, and <a href="/facts/Levenhookia_chippendalei/2sNGQldF">L. chippendalei</a> is also found in the <a href="/facts/Northern_Territory/5BFWuuyv">Northern Territory</a>.
All species of Levenhookia possess a sensitive <a href="/facts/Labellum_(botany)/AHHAXaxR">labellum</a> that performs a similar function to the <a href="/facts/Column_(botany)/t3TTW9na">column</a> of Stylidium species. The labellum responds to touch and enables the plants to promote cross-pollination and avoid self-pollination. Most species of Levenhookia are <a href="/facts/Ephemeral_plant/EXVjPhmd">ephemeral plants</a> that prefer sand <a href="/facts/Heath_(habitat)/Eu3P8zbP">heath</a> habitat. Levenhookia species also possess glandular <a href="/facts/Trichome/tLjKSfvm">trichomes</a> similar to those of its sister genus, Stylidium. While no studies have been done to test Levenhookia for <a href="/facts/Carnivorous_plant/GWTld9Ke">carnivory</a>, it is plausible that they are carnivorous plants like the related Stylidium species.

Levenhookia open-in-new

Levenhookia