Little lemonhead facts for kids

Coreocarpus arizonicus is a cool flowering plant often called the little lemonhead. It's part of the daisy family, just like sunflowers! You can find this plant growing naturally in parts of North America, especially in northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Meet the Little Lemonhead Plant

This plant is a type of perennial subshrub. This means it's a small, woody plant that lives for more than two years. It can grow up to 120 centimeters (about 4 feet) tall.

What Does It Look Like?

The little lemonhead plant usually has several flower heads. Each flower head has bright yellow disc florets in the center. Around these, it has ray florets, which are like the petals of a daisy. These ray florets can be white, purplish, yellow, or orange. Sometimes, the plant might not have any ray florets at all!

Where Does It Grow?

This plant loves sunny places. It grows in open areas, often along streams or in mountain canyons. You can find Coreocarpus arizonicus in southern Arizona. This includes Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties. It also grows in nearby Mexican states like Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur.

Different Kinds of Little Lemonhead

Scientists have found a few different types, or "varieties," of Coreocarpus arizonicus. These varieties are slightly different from each other, often based on where they grow or small differences in their looks. Here are some of them:

• Coreocarpus arizonicus var. arizonicus - Found in Arizona, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Baja California Sur.
• Coreocarpus arizonicus var. filiformis (Greenm.) S.F.Blake - Found in Sinaloa.
• Coreocarpus arizonicus var. macrophyllus Sherff - Found in Chihuahua.
• Coreocarpus arizonicus var. pubescens (B.L.Rob. & Fernald) S.F.Blake - Found in Sonora.
• Coreocarpus arizonicus var. sanpedroensis (E.B.Sm.) B.L.Turner - Found in Sonora.