Beauty-heads facts for kids
Quick facts for kids beauty-heads |
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| Calocephalus platycephalus | |
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Gnaphalieae
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Calocephalus
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Calocephalus is a group of flowering plants. They belong to the Asteraceae family, also known as the aster or daisy family. These plants are special because they are found only in Australia. You can find them in every state there.
Contents
What are Calocephalus Plants Like?
These plants can be small annuals (living for one year) or perennials (living for many years). Some grow as shrubs. Their leaves grow in different ways. They can be opposite each other, or they can alternate along the stem. Sometimes, both arrangements appear on the same plant. The leaves often have tiny hairs.
Their Unique Flowers
The flowers of Calocephalus plants grow in special clusters. These clusters are called flower heads. They look like a single flower but are actually many tiny flowers grouped together. These flower heads appear at the tips of the stems. Each head can have one to 22 small, tube-shaped flowers.
Seeds and How They Spread
After the flowers bloom, they produce a type of fruit called a cypsela. This is a dry, single-seeded fruit. Each cypsela has a special top part called a pappus. The pappus can be made of narrow scales or thin bristles. These bristles can be simple or look like tiny plumes. The pappus helps the seeds float away in the wind. This allows the plant to spread its seeds to new places.
Types of Calocephalus Plants
There are several different kinds of Calocephalus plants. Here are some of the known species:
- Calocephalus aervoides – known as woolly beauty-heads
- Calocephalus citreus – called lemon beauty-heads
- Calocephalus francisii – known as fine-leaf beauty-heads
- Calocephalus knappii
- Calocephalus lacteus – called milky beauty-heads
- Calocephalus lessingii
- Calocephalus multiflorus – known as yellow-top
- Calocephalus platycephalus – called billybuttons, yellow top, or western beauty-heads
- Calocephalus sonderi – known as pale beauty-heads
See also
In Spanish: Calocephalus para niños
