Entireleaf yellow false foxglove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Entireleaf yellow false foxglove |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Aureolaria
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| Species: |
levigata
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The Aureolaria levigata, also known as entireleaf yellow false foxglove or Appalachian oak-leech, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the plant family Orobanchaceae. This plant grows naturally in the Appalachian Mountains and nearby areas in the eastern United States. You can also find a small group of them far away in southwestern Mississippi.
What Does This Plant Look Like?
Like other plants in its group, Aureolaria levigata is special. It is a hemiparasitic plant, which means it gets some of its food from other plants. It attaches to the roots of oak trees to get extra nutrients.
This plant grows beautiful yellow flowers that look like tubes. They usually bloom in the late summer. You can tell this plant apart from its close relative, A. flava, because its leaves are usually smooth and not divided.
How Scientists Named This Plant
The Appalachian oak-leech was first officially described in 1820. A French botanist named Constantine Samuel Rafinesque gave it the name Gerardia levigata. Later, in 1837, the same scientist changed its name to Aureolaria levigata.
Sometimes, people try to "correct" the scientific name to Aureolaria laevigata. However, experts say that Rafinesque always spelled it "levigata". So, there is no reason to change his original spelling. Major plant databases like Kew's Plants of the World Online and International Plant Names Index also accept the spelling levigata.
