Grassland tarweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grassland tarweed |
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Asteroideae
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D. increscens
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| Binomial name | |
| Deinandra increscens (H.M.Hall ex D.D.Keck) B.G.Baldwin
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Deinandra increscens is a type of flowering plant. It is commonly known as grassland tarweed. This plant belongs to the aster family, which includes sunflowers and daisies. It grows only in California. When a plant or animal grows only in one specific place, it is called endemic.
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About Grassland Tarweed
This plant is an annual. This means it lives for just one growing season. It grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies, all within a single year.
What It Looks Like
Grassland tarweed can grow quite tall. It can reach up to 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) in height. That's almost as tall as a meter stick!
The plant has many flower heads. These are often grouped closely together. Each flower head has small yellow ray florets. These look like petals. It also has disc florets in the center. These tiny flowers have yellow corollas (the main part of the flower). Their anthers, which hold pollen, are red or purple.
Where It Grows
Grassland tarweed is found mainly in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties in California. It also grows on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands.
Sometimes, a few plants have been seen in Kern and Merced Counties. However, these are usually in cities like Merced and Bakersfield. This means they were likely planted by people, not growing naturally.
Different Kinds of Grassland Tarweed
There are two main types, or subspecies, of Deinandra increscens:
- Deinandra increscens subsp. increscens: This type grows along the California Central Coast. It is also found in the coastal mountain ranges.
- Deinandra increscens subsp. villosa: This type is called Gaviota tarweed. It is very rare and is an endangered subspecies. It grows only in Santa Barbara County. You can find it in a specific area called the Gaviota Coast.
