Aliciella latifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aliciella latifolia |
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| Aliciella latifolia in Furnace Creek Wash, Death Valley, California | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Aliciella
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| Species: |
latifolia
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| Synonyms | |
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Gilia latifolia S.Watson |
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Aliciella latifolia, also known as broad-leaved gilia, is a desert plant. It's an annual plant, meaning it lives for only one year. This plant belongs to the Phlox family, called Polemoniaceae. You can find it in the deserts of the southwestern United States. It's known for having a strong smell. It used to be called Gilia latifolia.
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Where Does Broad-Leaved Gilia Grow?
This plant grows in the eastern and northern parts of the Mojave Desert. It also lives in the Colorado Desert. You can often find it in dry riverbeds, called desert dry washes. It also likes rocky hillsides that are lower than 2,000 feet. It grows well in areas with creosote bush scrub. This is especially true where the rocks have a dark coating called desert varnish.
How Broad-Leaved Gilia Grows
This plant is an annual plant. This means it completes its whole life cycle in one year. It grows to be about 4 to 12 inches tall.
What Do the Leaves Look Like?
The leaves of Aliciella latifolia are simple. They are also leathery, which means they feel tough. Their shape is oval or round. The edges of the leaves are toothed. Sometimes, these edges can have a pink or red color. These leaves are special because they are broad and look a bit like holly leaves. Most plants in its family have leaves that are divided into many smaller parts.
Discovering Broad-Leaved Gilia Flowers
The flowers of this plant have five sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. They also have five petals. These petals are joined together to form a narrow, funnel-shaped tube. This tube is called the corolla. Inside the flower, there are five stamens. Stamens are the parts that produce pollen. They are placed between the petals. The flowers grow in a cluster at the end of the stems. The outside of the corolla is pale pink or tan. The inside is pink or bright red. The stamens are not all the same length. They barely stick out past the corolla tube.
Fruits and Seeds of Broad-Leaved Gilia
After the flowers, the plant produces fruits. These fruits are capsules. Each capsule has three separate sections. Inside each section, there are many reddish-brown seeds.
