Blepharizonia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blepharizonia |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Blepharizonia plumosa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Blepharizonia
(A.Gray) Greene
|
| Type species | |
| Blepharizonia plumosa (Kellogg) Greene
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Hemizonia subgen. Blepharizonia A.Gray |
|
Blepharizonia is a group of flowering plants. They belong to the aster family, which is called Asteraceae. There are two types, or species, of Blepharizonia. Both of them grow only in California, meaning they are endemic to that state. People often call these plants big tarweeds.
For a long time, scientists thought there was only one species, B. plumosa. This species was divided into two smaller groups called subspecies. However, studies showed that these subspecies didn't often mix or breed with each other. They also looked different and grew in different places. Because of these reasons, one of the subspecies was made into its own species. It is now known as B. laxa.
Contents
What Are Big Tarweeds Like?
These plants are annual herbs. This means they grow from a seed, flower, produce seeds, and then die all within one year. They can be quite small, about 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. But they can also grow very tall, over 1.8 meters (6 feet)!
Leaves and Scent
Big tarweeds have a strong smell. Their leaves are arranged in different ways. Near the bottom of the stem, leaves grow directly across from each other. Higher up on the plant, they grow one after another. The leaves can be long and thin, or shaped like a spoon. Sometimes, they have small teeth along their edges.
The whole plant is often covered in hairs or bristles. It can also be glandular, which means it has tiny glands that produce sticky substances. This sticky stuff is often what gives them their "tarweed" name.
Flowers and Seeds
The flowers of big tarweeds grow in groups called inflorescences. These groups can look like wide clusters or spikes. One type, B. laxa, can even have single flowers. Each flower head has special leaves called phyllaries around it. These phyllaries are hairy and glandular. They stay attached to the seeds as they grow.
The flowers have two main parts. The outer parts are called ray florets. They look like petals and are usually whitish. They often have red or purple lines on their undersides. These ray florets can be up to a centimeter long or more. The inner parts are called disc florets. There can be a few or many of these. They are also whitish or purplish and have purple anthers.
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces seeds. These seeds are ribbed and are called cypsela. Sometimes, the seeds have a small, scale-like structure called a pappus.
Types of Big Tarweeds
There are two main species of Blepharizonia:
- Blepharizonia laxa
- This plant has yellow-green leaves and is more glandular (sticky).
- Its flower heads can grow alone or on long, thin branches.
- The pappus (the small scales on the seed) is either very small or missing.
- You can find B. laxa in western San Joaquin Valley, the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, and the South Coast Ranges in California.
- Blepharizonia plumosa (big tarplant)
- This plant has gray-green leaves and is less glandular.
- Its flower heads grow on branches that arch or curve.
- It always has a pappus on its seeds.
- B. plumosa grows in the northwestern San Joaquin Valley, the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, and as far south as San Luis Obispo County.
See also
In Spanish: Blepharizonia para niños
