Vegetable Sheep

Vegetable Sheep Facts

• This bizarre looking object actually represents a highly unusual variety of Angiosperm. In English, it holds the common name of the Vegetable Sheep. In the language of the Indigenous Peoples of its region, however, it bears the traditional name of tutāhuna.
• The official scientific name for the plant, meanwhile, remains that of Raoulia eximia. The remarkable flora received that appellation during its first recorded formal recognition as a species, in 1864. It formerly held several other technical names, as well.
• Researchers currently place the plant in the Aster Family. The renowned British botanist, Joseph Dalton Hooker, holds the distinction of being the one to recognize it. He was also a highly respected explorer, and close personal friend of Charles Darwin.
• For the moment, the magnificent Vegetable Sheep appears to be maintaining a stable population base. That further seems to hold true throughout its native range. The IUCN, therefore, presently has no listing for it on the organization’s Red List.
• The fabulous flora nevertheless faces the same potential threats as every other species. Its small range makes it especially vulnerable to habitat loss. Its greatest threat, though, most likely consists of climate change, much like all other life on earth today.

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Vegetable Sheep Physical Description

The amazing Vegetable Sheep qualifies as one of those wonders of Nature one must see to believe. It also has an outward appearance that’s difficult to accurately describe. That’s partly because, like its relatives, it has a highly variable, as well as quite irregular, general shape.

As a general principle, though, individual specimens attain roughly equal measurements in height and width. More specifically, a typical full growth size equals about 3.3 ft (1m) in both dimensions. Exceptionally sized specimens do sometimes occur, though only rarely.

Its branches develop as short, but relatively very stout in structure. These, however, develop extremely close together. In point of fact, its branches are so tightly packed that the leaves of the plant can’t even be seen. They’re also tiny, being only a few millimeters long.

The remarkable foliage of the extraordinary Vegetable Sheep also has yet another surprise for the viewer. That’s an extremely dense convering of fine, white hairs. These very distinctive features give the plant a woolly appearance, adding to its namesake sheep-like look.

The flowers of this true marvel of Nature developed as comparatively small, yellowish, and daisy-like, emerging from the cushion surface. They also typically bloom in the summer months, adding a subtle splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic plant.

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Angiosperm
• Class: Eudicots
• Order: Asterales
• Family: Asterceae
• Genus: Raoulia
• Species: R. eximia

Vegetable Sheep Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology

Most unfortunately, the astonishing Vegetable Sheep evolved as native to a highly restricted range. That’s due to the fact that its only known concentration appears on the island country of New Zealand. Even there, though, its range remains even further restricted.

That’s because this marvel of Nature only lives on one of the two islands. In this case, it appears on the one named South Island. There, the unusual flora mostly makes appearances from northern Southland to Marlborough. That places it east of the main divide.

Its potential habitat remains further limited by its own nature. That’s due to the fact that it evolved to live at a range of altitudes that runs from alpine to sub-alpine. Here, the amazing plant appears at elevatons ranging from roughly 3,937 – 8,202 ft (1,200 – 2,500 m).

In these regions, the intrepid Angiosperm further appears in extremely rugged areas, where most other flora cannot survive. These locations include such settings as cliff faces, and spots of scree and talus. It’s also demonstrated a preference for poor, well-drained soils.

The flowers of the amazing Vegetable Sheep, such as they are, generally develop between November and January. The fruits that follow do so most typically from January to April. Researchers still know very little about how the Angiosperm achieves its pollination.

Both the attention-grabbing common name in English and its original native name have the same origin. These derive from its appearance, said by some to resemble a sheep. Its limbs develop so tightly packed that one can sit on the plant without doing harm.

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