Alpine marsh-marigold facts for kids

Caltha introloba, also known as the alpine marsh-marigold, is a small, hairless plant. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for many years. This special plant is only found in the high mountain areas of Australia and Tasmania. It usually grows to be about 1–2 cm tall when it flowers.

What It Looks Like

The alpine marsh-marigold is a tiny plant that doesn't have any hairs. It grows in thick clumps using short, strong underground stems called rhizomes.

• Leaves: Its leaves have long stems, about 5 cm. The leaf blade itself is 8–40 mm long and shaped like an oblong or a triangle. It often has two small, wing-like parts on its upper surface.
• Flowers: The flowering stem is short at first, 1–2 cm long. But it grows longer, up to 5–10 cm, when the seeds are ready. Each flower has five to eight petals, which are usually white. They often have hints of pink or purple, especially near the base and along their veins.
• Inside the Flower: There are 15 to 30 stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. Their stems (filaments) are white or pinkish, and the pollen is yellow. There are also 6 to 18 separate carpels, which are the parts that will become seeds.
• Seeds: When the seeds are ripe, they are held in pods called follicles. These pods spread out and have short beaks. Each pod contains only a few seeds.
• Flowering Time: This plant flowers between November and December. It often starts blooming right as the snow melts away.

Where It Lives

Caltha introloba can be found in the alpine (high mountain) fields of Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania.

• It grows on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko.
• It is common in spots where snow stays late.
• You can also find it growing among moss in high mountain ranges. These include places like Baw Baws, Snowy Range, Mt Buffalo, Bogong, and Dargo High Plains.
• It usually flowers right at the edges of melting snow drifts.

How It Lives

The alpine marsh-marigold often grows with other special alpine plants. Some of these include Brachyscome tadgellii and Carex gaudichaudiana.

• Flower Development: Flower buds start to grow in the middle of summer (January). They are fully developed by May, even if fresh snow is still falling.
• Opening Flowers: Most flowers open after the snow melts in October. Some flowers can even open under the snow if it stays until mid-November.
• Seed Development: The seeds are usually fully developed by the end of summer (February).
• Experiments:

* Scientists found that long days and strong light help trigger flower formation. * Another experiment showed that flowers only open after a cold period. This likely stops them from opening too early in autumn.

• Seed Germination: Seeds of Caltha introloba grow best between 22-27 °C. However, they take a long time (40–60 days) to sprout at these temperatures. They hardly sprout at all between 0-15 °C.

* But, after being kept cold for 4 months (at 1-2 °C), the seeds sprouted much faster and better below 15 °C. * This means that seeds dropped in summer probably won't sprout until the snow melts the next spring.

• Growth and Photosynthesis: The plant grows and makes its food (photosynthesis) best around 15 °C. This temperature is close to the average highest temperature during summer in its mountain home. It can even photosynthesize at 0 °C. This means it can grow during the entire time it's not covered by snow.