Saints fleabane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saints fleabane |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Erigeron
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| Species: |
sanctarum
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Erigeron sanctarum is a special kind of flowering plant in the daisy family. It's often called the saints fleabane or saints daisy. This plant is quite rare and only grows in California, which means it's endemic there. You can find it in places like San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. It also grows on two of California's Channel Islands: Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.
About the Saints Fleabane
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows an upright stem that can reach up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) tall. At the bottom of the stem, you'll find spoon-shaped or oblong leaves that are a few centimeters long. Smaller, narrower leaves grow along the lower part of the stem too.
Where It Lives
Erigeron sanctarum likes to grow in specific types of places. You can find it in coastal areas and further inland. It often lives in chaparral and oak woodland habitats. It also thrives in sandy coastal scrub areas. These are all natural environments found in California.
What It Looks Like
The plant produces 1 to 3 flower heads. These heads are lined on the outside with hairy leaf-like parts called phyllaries. Each flower head is quite colorful. It has between 45 and 90 blue or purple ray florets. These are the petal-like parts that stick out from the center. In the middle of the head, you'll see many small, yellow disc florets.
Seeds and Reproduction
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a type of seed called an achene. This achene has a pappus of bristles. A pappus is like a little parachute of hairs that helps the seed float away in the wind. This helps the plant spread its seeds to new places.
