Chimney Creek nemacladus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chimney Creek nemacladus |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
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| Genus: |
Nemacladus
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| Species: |
N. calcaratus
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| Binomial name | |
| Nemacladus calcaratus Morin
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The Nemacladus calcaratus, also known as the Chimney Creek nemacladus, is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the bellflower family. This special plant is found only in one small area: Chimney Creek in Tulare County, California. This area is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, east of Lake Isabella.
About This Special Plant
The Chimney Creek nemacladus is a very small plant. It is an annual herb, which means it lives for only one year. Scientists first found this plant in 1986. It was officially named and described as a new species in 2008. Because it grows in such a tiny area, it is considered a very rare plant.
Where It Lives
This plant likes to grow in woodland areas. It prefers sandy soil that comes from granite rocks. Its home is in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains, a famous mountain range in California. Finding a plant that lives in only one specific spot, like this one, is called being endemic.
What It Looks Like
The Chimney Creek nemacladus is a delicate plant. Its stem is only a few centimeters long. It can be a bit bumpy and slightly fuzzy. Sometimes, the stem even has a reddish color. The leaves are also tiny, only a few millimeters long. They are shaped like a spearhead and can be green or reddish. These small leaves are also quite hairy.
Its Unique Flowers
The plant's flowers grow in a cluster. Each tiny flower sits on a thin, thread-like stalk about one centimeter long. The flower itself is very small, with five pointed parts. Each part is only 1 or 2 millimeters long. The two lowest parts are joined together to form a small spike, called a spur. The flowers are white. They have cool dark red stripes inside their throat, which is the opening of the flower.
