Alpine groundsel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpine groundsel |
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Scapisenecio pectinatus, also known as alpine groundsel, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the large daisy family, which scientists call Asteraceae. You can find this plant growing in the high, cold mountain areas of south-eastern Australia. It especially likes to grow in wet, spongy soil called peat.
This plant has leaves that grow in a circle close to the ground, like a rosette. These leaves are divided into many small parts. From the center of the leaves, a single stalk grows upwards. This stalk can reach up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) tall. At the top of this stalk, there's a bright yellow flower head. This flower head can be up to 30 millimeters (about 1.2 inches) wide.
Plant Names and Families
Scientists give plants special names to help everyone know exactly which plant they are talking about. This system of naming and grouping living things is called taxonomy.
The alpine groundsel was first described in 1838 by a scientist named Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. He named it Senecio pectinatus. Later, in 2020, scientists did more research using DNA studies. These studies showed that this plant was different enough to be placed in a new group, or genus. So, it was moved to the new genus Scapisenecio and its name became Scapisenecio pectinatus.
Sometimes, within one plant species, there can be slightly different types. For Scapisenecio pectinatus, scientists currently recognize two main types:
- Scapisenecio pectinatus var. major: This type is found in Victoria and New South Wales.
- Scapisenecio pectinatus var. pectinatus: This type grows in Victoria and Tasmania. It has smaller leaves where the tips of the divided parts curve inwards.
There was once a type of alpine groundsel with white flowers. It was called Senecio pectinatus var. ochroleucus. However, after more research, scientists decided in 2004 that it was different enough to be its own species. It was first named Senecio albogilvus and then later moved to the Scapisenecio genus, becoming Scapisenecio albogilvus.
See Also
- Packera pauciflora, a species of flowering plant native to northern North America, known by the common name alpine groundsel.
