Klamath arnica facts for kids

Klamath arnica (its scientific name is Arnica spathulata) is a special and rare plant. It belongs to the sunflower family, just like the big sunflowers you might know!

You can only find it growing naturally in a specific area. This area is the Klamath Mountains, which are in parts of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. It loves to grow in woodland areas. What's really interesting is that it almost always grows in a special type of ground called serpentine soil. This soil is not common, which makes the Klamath arnica even more unique!

What Does It Look Like?

The Klamath arnica is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It grows from a special underground stem called a rhizome. This rhizome helps it spread. The plant sends up one or more stems that can be 10 to 50 centimeters tall. These stems are often hairy and a bit sticky (glandular).

It has several pairs of leaves along its stem. These leaves are shaped like a wide spearhead. There is also a bunch of leaves growing at the very bottom of the stem. The leaves at the bottom can be up to 15 centimeters long. The leaves higher up on the stem are a bit shorter.

Its Flowers

The plant produces many flower heads. These flower heads are surrounded by special leaf-like parts called phyllaries. These phyllaries are covered in long, white hairs.

Each flower head is shaped like a disc. It only has yellow disc florets, which are the small tube-shaped flowers in the center of a sunflower. It does not have the larger, showier ray florets that look like petals on a typical sunflower.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit called an achene. This achene can be up to a centimeter long. It also has a white, fluffy top called a pappus, which helps the seeds float away in the wind.