Erechtites minimus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Erechtites minimus |
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Senecioneae
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Erechtites
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E. minimus
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| Erechtites minimus (Poir.) DC.
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Erechtites minimus, also known as toothed fireweed or coastal burnweed, is a type of plant that belongs to the sunflower family. This plant is originally from Australia (found in all six states) and New Zealand. It has also spread and now grows naturally along the Pacific Coast of the United States, including Washington, Oregon, and California.
Discovering the Toothed Fireweed!
The toothed fireweed is a fascinating plant that can be either an annual or a perennial herb. An annual plant completes its entire life cycle, from seed to flower to seed, all within one year. A perennial plant, on the other hand, lives for more than two years, often coming back to grow new leaves and flowers each season. This plant can grow quite tall, reaching up to 200 centimeters (about 80 inches) in height!
What Does It Look Like?
The leaves of the toothed fireweed are, as its name suggests, toothed along their edges. However, they are not deeply cut or lobed like some other plants. One single plant can produce a lot of flowers – sometimes as many as 200! These flower heads can be yellow or purple. Each flower head is made up of many tiny disc florets, which are the small, tube-shaped flowers in the center. Unlike some other plants in the sunflower family, the toothed fireweed does not have ray florets, which are the petal-like flowers you see around the edge of a typical sunflower.
Where Does This Plant Grow?
The toothed fireweed is native to Australia and New Zealand, meaning it naturally grew there for a very long time. But it has also become "naturalized" in other places, like the Pacific Coast of the United States. When a plant is "naturalized," it means it was brought to a new area (sometimes by accident, like on ships) and has managed to grow and spread on its own, just like the plants that are native to that region. This shows how tough and adaptable the toothed fireweed can be!
