Twin arnica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Twin arnica |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Arnica
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| Species: |
sororia
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The Arnica sororia, also known as the twin arnica, is a beautiful wild plant found in North America. It's a type of arnica, which is a group of flowering plants. This plant is special because it grows in many parts of western Canada and the western United States.
All About Twin Arnica
The twin arnica plant is a native species, meaning it naturally grows in these areas. You can find it in open fields called grasslands and also in forests filled with cone-bearing trees, known as conifer forests. It's a tough plant that can live for many years.
What It Looks Like
The twin arnica is a type of herb, which means it's a plant without a woody stem, like a tree or shrub. It has special underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread and grow new shoots.
- Stems: The plant usually grows one or more stems that can be anywhere from 10 to 50 centimeters tall. That's about 4 to 20 inches, or roughly the length of a ruler! These stems are often covered in tiny hairs and have small glands, which are like tiny bumps that can produce sticky substances.
- Leaves: Along the stem, you'll see several pairs of leaves. They are shaped like a spear or a lance, wide at the bottom and tapering to a point. The leaves closer to the ground have small stalks, called petioles, that connect them to the stem. Each leaf can grow up to 14 centimeters (about 5.5 inches) long.
Its Flowers
The twin arnica produces lovely, daisy-like flowers. These flowers grow in groups called an inflorescence. Each plant can have one to five of these flower groups.
- Flower Heads: Each flower group is called a flower head. They are surrounded by special leaf-like structures called phyllaries. These phyllaries are also covered in tiny, sticky glands.
- Colors: The center of the flower head is packed with many small, yellow disc florets. These are the tiny, tube-shaped flowers in the middle. Around the edge, you'll see a fringe of bright yellow ray florets. These are the petal-like parts that make the flower look like a daisy.
- Seeds: After the flower blooms, it produces small fruits called achenes. These are like tiny seeds, only a few millimeters long. Each achene has a fluffy white top called a pappus, which helps the wind carry the seeds away to new places.
