Artist's popcornflower facts for kids

The Plagiobothrys chorisianus is a type of flowering plant in the borage family. It's often called the artist's popcornflower because its tiny white flowers look a bit like popcorn.

This plant is special because it grows only in California. You can find it mostly around the San Francisco Bay Area and along some parts of the coast further south.

Where It Lives

The artist's popcornflower likes to live in certain natural areas. These include:

• Chaparral areas, which are dry shrublands.
• Coastal scrub, which are bushy areas near the ocean.
• Grassland habitats, which are open fields of grass.

What It Looks Like

This plant is an annual herb, meaning it grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year.

• Its stem can spread out or stand up straight. It usually grows about 4 to 16 inches (10 to 40 centimeters) long.
• The leaves along the stem are about 1 to 3 inches (3 to 7 centimeters) long. They feel rough because they are covered in tiny hairs.
• The flowers grow in a group called an inflorescence. Each tiny flower sits on a small stalk, called a pedicel, which can be up to about 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) long.
• The flowers are white and have five lobes, like small petals. They are about 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) wide. In the center of each flower, there are white to bright yellow parts that look like small bumps.

Sometimes, scientists divide this plant into different types, called varieties, based on small differences.