Aggie-land gayfeather facts for kids

Liatris cymosa, also known as the Aggie-land gayfeather or branched blazing star, is a beautiful plant. It belongs to the aster family and is part of the Liatris group of plants. This plant grows naturally in east central Texas in North America.

About the Aggie-land Gayfeather

The Aggie-land gayfeather is a special plant. It is known for its pretty purple flowers that bloom in the middle to late summer. This plant is important because it is a "species of conservation concern." This means people are worried about its future, and they are working to protect it.

Where Does It Grow?

This plant likes to grow in certain places. You can find it in Texas in areas like post oak woodlands. It also grows in open fields, along fence rows, and at the edges of forests. It prefers to grow in clay soils.

What Does It Look Like?

The Aggie-land gayfeather grows from a rounded or sometimes long underground stem, like a small bulb. These underground stems produce upright stems that can be 20 to 75 centimeters tall. That's about 8 to 30 inches! The stems have tiny hairs that lie flat and point in the same direction.

The leaves at the bottom of the plant and along the stem have one main vein. These leaves are long and thin. They are usually 8 to 12 centimeters long and 2 to 5 millimeters wide. The leaves are mostly smooth, but some might have a few hairs on their edges. As the leaves go up the stem, they get smaller.

The flowers grow in dense groups called heads. Each head has about 20 to 25 tiny flowers, called florets. These flower heads have their own small stems, which are 20 to 70 millimeters long. The heads grow in loose clusters, usually 2 to 20 of them. These clusters are found at the ends of the widely branched stems.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces seeds. These seeds are found in a special type of fruit called a cypsela. Each cypsela is about 6 to 7 millimeters long. The seeds have feathery tops, which help them float away in the wind.