Brodiaea minor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brodiaea minor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Brodiaeoideae
Genus:	Brodiaea
Species:	B. minor
Binomial name
Brodiaea minor (Benth.) S.Wats.
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The Dwarf Brodiaea (scientific name: Brodiaea minor) is a beautiful flowering plant. It is also known as the vernalpool brodiaea. This special plant belongs to the cluster-lily genus.

You can only find the Dwarf Brodiaea growing naturally in central California. It loves the grassy areas of the Central Valley and the nearby Sierra Nevada foothills. When a plant is found only in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place.

What Does the Dwarf Brodiaea Look Like?

The Dwarf Brodiaea is a small plant that grows back every year. It sends up a straight flower stalk, called an inflorescence, which can be up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) tall. This stalk holds several light purple flowers.

Each flower is shaped like a small urn or vase. The petals, which are called tepals in this type of plant, are narrow and spread outwards. They are about 1 to 2 centimeters long.

Inside the Flower

If you look closely at the center of a Dwarf Brodiaea flower, you will see some interesting parts:

• There are three working stamens. Stamens are the parts of a flower that make pollen.
• You will also see three other parts that look like stamens but do not make pollen. These are called staminodes. They stick out and are quite noticeable.