Silky balsamroot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silky balsamroot |
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The Balsamorhiza sericea is a type of flowering plant. It is often called the silky balsamroot because of its soft, hairy leaves. This plant belongs to the sunflower family.
You can find the silky balsamroot growing naturally in the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. It also lives in the Blue and Steens Mountains in eastern Oregon. This plant likes to grow in rocky areas, sometimes even in special soils called serpentine soils.
What Does the Silky Balsamroot Look Like?
The silky balsamroot is a taprooted plant that lives for many years. It grows straight up, usually reaching about 20 to 40 centimeters (8 to 16 inches) tall. That's about the height of a ruler!
Leaves and Stems
Most of the plant's leaves grow from its base, near the ground. They look a bit like fern leaves, with many small parts called lobes. Each lobe is shaped like an oval and is covered in shiny, silver-colored hairs. This is where the "silky" part of its name comes from!
Flowers and Seeds
Each silky balsamroot plant usually has one large flower head. This head has a center filled with many tiny yellow disc florets. Around the edge, it has bright yellow ray florets, which look like petals. Each of these "petals" can be 2 or 3 centimeters long.
After the flower blooms, it produces a small fruit called an achene. This fruit is just over half a centimeter long and contains the plant's seeds.
