Calochortus coeruleus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calochortus coeruleus |
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Calochortus
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coeruleus
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The Blue Star Tulip, officially known as Calochortus coeruleus, is a beautiful plant from the lily family. It grows from a bulb, much like a regular tulip. You might also hear it called beavertail grass.
Where Does the Blue Star Tulip Grow?
This special plant is found only in California. When a plant or animal lives only in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place.
You can find the Blue Star Tulip in certain parts of northern California. This includes the North California Coast Ranges, the Southern Cascade Range, and the Northern Sierra Nevada mountains.
What Does the Blue Star Tulip Look Like?
The Blue Star Tulip is easy to spot because of its unique flowers. They have light blue petals that are shaped like spades, similar to the spade symbol on playing cards.
What makes these flowers even more interesting is that their petals are covered in tiny, brush-like hairs. This gives them a soft, fuzzy look.
What's in a Name?
The scientific name for this plant is Calochortus coeruleus. Sometimes, people accidentally misspell it as Calochortus caeruleus. Even though it looks very similar, Calochortus coeruleus is the correct and accepted botanical name.
Scientists like Sereno Watson and Albert Kellogg helped give this plant its name a long time ago, in the 1800s. They made sure to describe it carefully so everyone would know exactly which plant they were talking about.
