Desert star facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Desert star
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Astereae
Genus:	Monoptilon
Species:	M. bellioides
Binomial name
Monoptilon bellioides (A.Gray) H.M.Hall

The Monoptilon bellioides, also known as the desert star or Mojave desertstar, is a small flowering plant that grows in the desert. It belongs to the Asteraceae family, which includes plants like sunflowers and daisies.

Where the Desert Star Grows

The desert star plant is found in the Mojave Desert in California. It also grows in the Sonoran Desert, which stretches across the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. You can often see it on stony and sandy plains. It is very common in the northern, eastern, and southern parts of these deserts.

What the Desert Star Looks Like

The Monoptilon bellioides is an annual plant, meaning it lives for only one growing season. It is usually quite short.

Size of the Plant

• If there is very little rainfall, the plant might only grow to be 1 to 2 centimeters tall. That's about as short as your fingernail!
• However, if there is a lot of rain, it can grow much taller, up to 25 centimeters. That's about the length of a school ruler.

Leaves and Flowers

• The leaves of the desert star are thin and straight, about 5 to 10 millimeters long. They have a blunt, rounded tip.
• The flowers grow in tight groups called inflorescences. Each flower group is about 2 centimeters wide.
• The flowers have white petals on the outside, called ray florets. In the center, they have yellow disc florets.
• These pretty flowers open up in the morning when the sun rises. Then, they close again in the evening as the sun sets.

Images for kids

• 

  A desert star plant in Death Valley.

See also

In Spanish: Monoptilon para niños