Godfrey’s thoroughwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Godfrey’s thoroughwort |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eupatorium
|
| Species: |
godfreyanum
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Eupatorium × godfreyanum Cronquist |
|
Eupatorium godfreyanum, also known as Godfrey’s thoroughwort, is a type of plant found in North America. It belongs to the sunflower family, which includes many common flowers like daisies and sunflowers. This plant grows in the east-central United States.
You can mostly find Godfrey's thoroughwort from Pennsylvania down to North Carolina. There are also some smaller groups of these plants further west. These are found near the Appalachian Mountains in states like Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
About Godfrey's Thoroughwort
Godfrey's thoroughwort is a tall plant that lives for many years. It can grow to be over 3 feet (90 cm) tall. Its leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem. They can be shaped like a spear (lance-shaped) or like an egg.
What It Looks Like
This plant has many tiny flower heads that grow in flat-topped clusters. Each small flower head has about 4 to 5 white disc florets. Disc florets are the small, tube-shaped flowers you see in the center of a sunflower. Godfrey's thoroughwort does not have ray florets, which are the petal-like parts you see on the outside of a daisy.
How It Reproduces
Scientists believe that Godfrey's thoroughwort started as a mix of two other plants. These "parent" plants are called E. rotundifolium and E. sessilifolium. This process is called hybridization.
Even though it began as a hybrid, Godfrey's thoroughwort can grow and make new plants all by itself. It can even be found in places where its parent plants do not grow. Because of this, scientists consider it a unique and separate species.
