Beaked spiny polygala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaked spiny polygala |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Rhinotropis |
| Species: |
R. heterorhyncha
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhinotropis heterorhyncha (Barneby) J.R.Abbott
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| Synonyms | |
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Rhinotropis heterorhyncha, also known as the beaked spiny polygala or notch-beaked milkwort, is a cool flowering plant. It belongs to the milkwort family. This plant is special because it grows in the hot deserts of southern Nevada. You can also find a few of these plants just across the border in the Funeral Mountains of California, near Death Valley. It loves to live in desert areas where the ground is often dry and rocky.
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Meet the Beaked Spiny Polygala
The Rhinotropis heterorhyncha is a unique plant found in North America. It is sometimes called Polygala heterorhyncha, which is its scientific synonym. This means it has another name that scientists have used for it. It's a tough plant that thrives in dry, desert places.
Where Does It Grow?
This plant is native to the southwestern United States. Most of these plants live in southern Nevada. A small number of them also grow in California. Specifically, they are found in the Funeral Mountains. These mountains are located right above Death Valley, which is one of the hottest places on Earth! The plant prefers desert scrub habitat. This means it grows in areas with dry soil and scattered bushes.
What Does It Look Like?
The beaked spiny polygala is a perennial herb or a small shrub. This means it lives for more than two years. It often grows in small, clumpy groups. Its stems are thin and branch out a lot. They also have thorny tips, which can help protect the plant. The stems feel a bit waxy and can sometimes be slightly hairy.
Leaves and Flowers
The plant has small, oval-shaped leaves. These leaves are dull-pointed and are not very numerous on the stems. The flowers grow in a group called an inflorescence. Each flower has a few parts that look like wings. These are actually bright pink sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. In the center of the flower, there is a petal with a yellow tip.
Fruit of the Plant
After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit. This fruit is a special kind of capsule. It has visible veins on its surface. The capsule holds the seeds of the plant. This allows the plant to reproduce and grow new plants.
 | Kyle Baker |
 | Joseph Yoakum |
 | Laura Wheeler Waring |
 | Henry Ossawa Tanner |
