Brandegea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandegea
Scientific classification
Genus:	Brandegea
Species:	bigelovii
Synonyms
Echinopepon bigelovii (S. Watson) S. Watson

The desert starvine (scientific name: Brandegea bigelovii) is a unique plant. It's the only species in its group, called a genus. This plant is a vine that lives for many years, which means it's a perennial. It belongs to the squash family, just like pumpkins and cucumbers!

You can find the desert starvine growing in the hot, dry deserts of California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. It's a sprawling plant, meaning it spreads out across the ground.

What Does it Look Like?

The desert starvine has special features that help it survive in the desert.

Leaves

Its leaves are small and dark green. They have a cool shape, often looking like a hand with long, deep fingers. These leaves are also covered in tiny white spots, which are actually oil glands.

Flowers and Fruit

This vine grows tiny white flowers. They are very small, only about 2 or 3 millimeters wide. After the flowers, the plant produces small, dry fruits. These fruits are prickly and measure about 5 or 6 millimeters long. Each fruit holds just one seed.

Roots and Tendrils

The desert starvine has a deep taproot. This is a main root that grows straight down into the soil. It helps the plant find water deep underground. The vine also has tendrils. These are thin, curly parts that help the plant grab onto things and climb.

How Scientists Classify It

Scientists group living things into categories. This helps us understand how different plants and animals are related. The desert starvine fits into these groups:

• Kingdom: Plantae (This means it's a plant)
• Sub Kingdom: Tracheobionta (It's a vascular plant, meaning it has tubes to carry water and nutrients)
• Super Division: Spermatophyta (It's a seed plant)
• Division: Magnoliophyta (It's a flowering plant)
• Class: Magnoliopsida (It's a dicotyledon, a type of flowering plant)
• Subclass: Dilleniidae
• Order: Violales
• Family: Cucurbitaceae (This is the cucumber or squash family)
• Genus: Brandegea (This group has only one species, the desert starvine)
• Species: Brandegea bigelovii (This is the specific name for the desert starvine)

See also

In Spanish: Brandegea para niños