Ehrendorferia chrysantha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ehrendorferia chrysantha |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ehrendorferia
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| Species: |
chrysantha
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| Synonyms | |
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Dicentra chrysantha |
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The Ehrendorferia chrysantha, often called golden eardrops, is a beautiful flowering plant. It is also known by its older name, Dicentra chrysantha. This plant can live for two years (biennial) or many years (perennial). It belongs to the poppy family, called Papaveraceae.
Golden eardrops plants grow naturally in dry, brushy areas. You can find them in different parts of California and Baja California. These areas often experience wildfires, which are important for this plant's life cycle.
About Golden Eardrops
Plant Structure
The golden eardrops plant has a main root called a taproot. This root grows straight down into the soil, helping the plant find water.
Its leaves are a pretty blue-green color. They are divided into many smaller parts called leaflets, which gives them a lobed or wavy look.
Flowers and Seeds
The flowers of the golden eardrops are bright yellow and smell nice. They have a special shape: two outer petals curve outwards, while two inner petals stay closer together.
These yellow flowers grow in clusters called panicles at the top of tall, branched stems. The stems can reach up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) high!
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces seeds inside small cases called capsules. These capsules are about 1 to 2 centimeters long. A cool fact about these seeds is that they usually need to be exposed to fire before they can sprout and grow into new plants. This helps them survive in places where wildfires are common.
