Broomweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Broomweed |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Astereae
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| Genus: |
Amphiachyris
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| Species: |
A. dracunculoides
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| Binomial name | |
| Amphiachyris dracunculoides (DC.) Nutt.
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Broomweed, scientifically known as Amphiachyris dracunculoides, is a common wild plant. It is a type of flowering plant found in North America. This plant belongs to the daisy family, which is also called Asteraceae. Many familiar flowers, like sunflowers and dandelions, are part of this large family.
Discovering Broomweed
Broomweed gets its common name because its many thin branches can look a bit like a broom. It is a native plant, meaning it grows naturally in certain areas. You can find it mostly in the United States.
Where Does Broomweed Grow?
Broomweed is most common in the southern part of the Great Plains. This area stretches from Missouri all the way to eastern New Mexico. It likes to grow in places with calcareous soil. This type of soil has a lot of calcium carbonate, like limestone.
Broomweed is also very tough. It can grow well in "disturbed habitats." This means places where the ground has been moved or changed. Examples include roadsides, old fields, or areas where construction has happened.
What Does Broomweed Looks Like?
Broomweed is an annual plant. This means it completes its entire life cycle in just one year. It grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies.
This plant can grow quite tall. It often reaches up to 200 centimeters, which is about 7 feet high. Its stems are usually thin and branch out a lot.
The flowers of broomweed are bright yellow. Like other plants in the daisy family, its flowers are actually made up of two types of tiny flowers. These are called ray florets and disc florets. The ray florets look like petals around the edge. The disc florets are tiny flowers packed together in the center.
