Coreopsis bigelovii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coreopsis bigelovii |
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Coreopsis
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bigelovii
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Bigelow coreopsis (scientific name: Coreopsis bigelovii) is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy or sunflower family, which is called Asteraceae. You might also hear it called Bigelow's tickseed.
This plant is special because it grows naturally only in California. This means it is endemic to California. You can find it in many parts of the state. These include the southern California Coast Ranges and the southwestern Sierra Nevada mountains. It also grows in the Transverse Ranges and the Mojave and Colorado deserts. It is common in different types of natural areas. You can find it from Merced and Inyo Counties all the way south to San Diego County.
What Bigelow Coreopsis Looks Like
Bigelow coreopsis is an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year. It usually grows one or more stems that stand straight up. These stems can be about 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) tall.
The leaves of the plant are mostly found at its base. They are divided into thin, narrow parts. Sometimes these parts are divided even further.
The plant produces many flower heads. Each flower head grows by itself on a stem. The base of each flower head is round and covered with rough leaf-like parts called phyllaries.
Each flower head has many small yellow flowers in the center. These are called disc florets. Around the edge, there are five to ten larger, petal-like yellow flowers. These are called ray florets. They can be up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long.
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces small fruits called achenes. The fruits from the ray florets are rough and bumpy. They do not have a feathery top (called a pappus). The fruits from the disc florets are thinner and shiny. They have hairy edges and a pappus made of small scales at the top.
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Each flower head consists of many yellow flowers and five to ten ray flowers.
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Leaves are divided into narrow lobes, sometimes subdivided.
How People Used This Plant
Native people in California used to eat this plant. The Kawaiisu and Tübatulabal people would eat Bigelow coreopsis. They ate it as a green vegetable, either raw or cooked.
