California bearpoppy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California bearpoppy |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Arctomecon
|
| Species: |
californica
|
The California bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) is a special type of poppy flower. People also call it the Las Vegas bearpoppy, golden bearpoppy, or yellow-flowered desert poppy.
Contents
Where Does the California Bearpoppy Live?
The California bearpoppy grows naturally in the eastern Mojave Desert. You can find it near Las Vegas, Nevada, in places like Tule Springs and the Lake Mead area. It also lives in parts of northwestern Arizona.
There's also one small group of these poppies near St. George, Utah. Sadly, the number of these plants in Utah has dropped a lot. Because of this, it is now listed as an endangered species in Utah.
What Does the California Bearpoppy Look Like?
The California bearpoppy is a herbaceous plant. This means it has soft stems, not woody ones, and it lives for more than two years. It grows in dry, rocky areas, often where there are creosote bushes. It likes places with gypsum, a type of mineral, and grows at elevations from about 1,600 to 3,300 feet (500 to 1,000 meters).
The plant blooms in the middle of spring. It has bright yellow petals that grow from large buds. These flowers appear on tall, branching stems that can be 1 to 3 feet high. The plant then produces fruit in early summer.
Why Is the California Bearpoppy in Danger?
The number of California bearpoppies has gone down a lot in recent years. Because of this, people have asked for it to be added to the US Endangered Species list. It is already a protected plant in Nevada and Arizona because it is so rare.
The main reasons it is disappearing include new buildings and towns being built where it lives. Also, more honeybees have moved into its habitat, which can affect how it gets pollinated. When its habitat gets broken up into smaller pieces, it can also make it harder for the plant to stay healthy and diverse.
The Mohave Poppy Bee
There is a special bee called the Mohave poppy bee (Perdita meconis). This bee only pollinates the California bearpoppy. Sadly, this bee is also in great danger. Its numbers have dropped a lot because of land development, off-road vehicle use, and mining for gypsum.
The Mohave poppy bee used to live in Arizona, California, and Utah, but it has now disappeared from those areas. Today, you can only find it near California bearpoppy plants in the Lake Mead Recreation Area and near Las Vegas in Nevada.
