California balsamroot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California balsamroot |
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The California balsamroot (Balsamorhiza macrolepis) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which also includes sunflowers! This plant grows only in California, USA. You can find it in dry, open places, often in mountains. It likes the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada and the eastern California Coast Ranges near San Francisco Bay. Sadly, it's becoming rare in the Coast Ranges.
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What is California Balsamroot?
The California balsamroot is a type of plant called a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows from a thick main root called a taproot. The plant stands upright, reaching a height of about 20 to 60 centimeters (8 to 24 inches).
Leaves and Stems
This plant has large leaves that are shaped like a spear or an oval. The biggest leaves are usually found near the bottom of the plant. They can grow up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) long! The leaves are a grayish-green color. They also have tiny, soft hairs covering them.
Flowers and Blooms
The California balsamroot produces a single, large flower head. This flower head is like a mini-sunflower. It has special leaf-like parts called phyllaries around the outside. These phyllaries are hairy and have tiny glands.
The center of the flower head is filled with many small, yellowish disc florets. Around the edge, there are bright yellow ray florets. These ray florets are pointed and can be 2 or 3 centimeters long. They look like the petals of a daisy or sunflower.
