Carlquistia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carlquistia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
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| Order: | |
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Madiinae
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| Genus: |
Carlquistia
B.G.Baldw.
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| Species: |
C. muirii
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| Binomial name | |
| Carlquistia muirii (A.Gray) B.G.Baldw.
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| Synonyms | |
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Carlquistia muirii is a very special flowering plant. It is a rare type of plant found in North America. This plant belongs to the aster family, which includes daisies and sunflowers. Carlquistia muirii is the only species in its entire group, called the genus Carlquistia.
This plant used to have a different name, Raillardiopsis muirii. But in the 1990s, scientists studied it again. They decided it was unique enough to have its own new group. This separated it from other similar plants like Madia.
People often call this plant by a few common names. These include Muir's tarplant, Muir's raillardiopsis, and Muir's raillardella. This plant is also related to the silversword alliance. These are unique plants found in Hawaii.
The name Carlquistia honors an American botanist named Sherwin Carlquist. He was born in 1930. The second part of the name, muirii, is a tribute to John Muir. He was a famous Scottish-American naturalist who lived from 1838 to 1914.
What Does Carlquistia muirii Look Like?
Carlquistia muirii is a perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread and form clumps or mats of stems.
The plant has hairy green leaves. These leaves are pointed and can grow up to about 4 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. Lower on the stem, the leaves grow directly opposite each other. Higher up, they grow in an alternating pattern.
The plant usually has one flower head on a straight stalk. This flower head is often sticky because it has many glands. The head contains many small yellow disc florets. These are the tiny flowers in the center of a sunflower. However, it does not have any ray florets, which are the petal-like parts you see on a daisy.
After the flowers, the plant produces a very narrow fruit. This fruit is called an achene. It can be longer than one centimeter (about 0.4 inches). It also has a pappus, which are feathery bristles that help the fruit fly away in the wind.
Where Does Carlquistia muirii Grow?
Carlquistia muirii is an endemic species. This means it only grows naturally in one specific place. For this plant, that place is California in the United States.
It has a disjunct distribution. This means its populations are spread out and not continuous. You can find it in two main areas:
- The southern Sierra Nevada mountains. This includes parts of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties.
- On the western side of the San Joaquin Valley. Here, it grows around the Ventana Double Cone. This area is in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Monterey County.
