California grass of Parnassus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California grass of Parnassus |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Parnassia
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| Species: |
californica
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Parnassia californica is a beautiful wild flower often called the California grass of Parnassus. It's a special type of plant that grows in the mountains of Oregon, California, and Nevada. You can usually find it in wet places like green meadows or along the edges of streams.
What is the California Grass of Parnassus?
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years and doesn't have a woody stem like a tree. Each year, it grows a new upright stem that holds its flowers. This stem comes from a group of leaves that grow close to the ground.
How Does it Look?
The leaves of this plant can be up to 14 centimeters (about 5.5 inches) long. They have an oval or spoon shape and grow on a long stalk called a petiole. Think of the petiole as the stem of a single leaf.
The flower stalk, also known as an inflorescence, can grow almost half a meter (about 1.5 feet) tall! It's mostly bare, meaning it doesn't have many leaves on it. There's usually just one small leaf-like part, called a bract, about halfway up the stalk.
A Closer Look at the Flower
Each plant produces a single, pretty flower. It has five small green parts called sepals that protect the flower bud. Behind these sepals are five white petals. These petals are about 1 to 2 centimeters (less than an inch) long and often have delicate veins.
Right in the middle of the flower, you'll find five stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen. There are also five unique parts called staminodes. These look like stamens but don't produce pollen. They have cool fringes with many tiny, hair-like parts that have little spheres (like tiny balls) on their tips.
