Mount Shasta arnica facts for kids

Arnica viscosa is a special type of arnica plant. It is part of the large sunflower family. People often call it the Mount Shasta arnica. This plant is not very common. It grows in certain parts of North America.

Where it Grows: Its Home

This unique plant lives in the Klamath Mountains. It also grows in the southern Cascade Range. These mountain areas are in northern California and southern Oregon. You can find it in places like Shasta, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties in California. In Oregon, it grows in Josephine, Douglas, Klamath, and Deschutes Counties.

Arnica viscosa likes to live in high places. It grows in subalpine and alpine areas. These are mountain habitats that can be quite cold.

What it Looks Like: Description

Arnica viscosa is a perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for more than two years. It usually grows one or more stems. These stems are covered in tiny hairs. They also have special glands that can feel sticky. The stems can grow from about 20 to 50 centimeters tall.

The plant has five to ten pairs of leaves along its stem. These leaves are shaped like long ovals. Each leaf is a few centimeters long.

Its Flowers

The plant's flowers grow in groups called an inflorescence. Each group has many flower heads. These heads are surrounded by hairy, sticky leaves called phyllaries.

The flower heads are round and flat, like a disc. They only have yellow disc florets. These are the small, tube-shaped flowers in the center of a sunflower. Arnica viscosa does not have ray florets. Ray florets are the long, petal-like flowers you see around the edge of a sunflower.

Its Fruit

After the flowers bloom, the plant makes a fruit. This fruit is called an achene. It is a small, dry fruit, like a sunflower seed. Each achene is about 5 or 6 millimeters long. It also has a fluffy top called a pappus. This pappus can be white or brownish. It helps the seeds float away in the wind.