Largeflower false rosemary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Largeflower false rosemary |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Conradina
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| Species: |
grandiflora
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The Conradina grandiflora is a special flowering plant that belongs to the mint family. You might hear it called the largeflower false rosemary or large-flowered rosemary. This plant is endemic to Florida in the United States. This means it grows naturally only in Florida and nowhere else in the world! You can find it along Florida's Atlantic coast.
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What is the Largeflower False Rosemary?
This amazing plant is an shrub that smells nice. It usually grows up to about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can even reach two meters (about 6.5 feet)! Its branches have small, pale hairs on them.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the false rosemary are like needles. They are hairy and have tiny glands. Each leaf can be up to 1.5 centimeters (about half an inch) long.
The flowers are very pretty. Each flower has a hairy, reddish-brown cup called a calyx. The flower itself is about 2 centimeters (almost an inch) long. It has a funnel shape and a hairy opening. The flowers are a lovely lavender color. They also have darker lavender spots inside. This plant has the biggest flowers of all the plants in its group, the Conradina genus. You can see this plant flowering all year long!
Where Does the False Rosemary Live?
This plant loves to grow on dunes and other places with deep, sandy soils. It often grows near the coast. Its home is usually in a type of habitat called Florida scrub. This plant is common in the parts of scrub habitat that are still left.
Fire and Its Habitat
The largeflower false rosemary is very good at living in places that have frequent fires. It actually needs fire to keep its home open and sunny. This plant does not like shade. Fires help clear out other plants that might block the sunlight.
Plant Neighbors
The false rosemary often grows near sand pine trees. It also shares its habitat with other plants like Lyonia, Ilex, Ceratiola, Polygonella, Opuntia, and different kinds of scrub oaks. There are about 64 known places where this plant grows.
Why is This Plant Important?
The biggest danger to the largeflower false rosemary is losing its Florida scrub home. People are building houses, stores, and citrus farms in these areas. Because of this, the plant is considered a threatened species in the state of Florida. However, the United States government has not yet listed it as a federally protected species.
