Foothill sunburst facts for kids

The Pseudobahia heermannii is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which includes plants like sunflowers and daisies. People often call this plant the foothill sunburst or brittlestem.

About the Foothill Sunburst

The foothill sunburst is a special plant because it grows naturally only in California. This means it is endemic to California. You can find it in different kinds of natural areas. These include open grasslands, chaparral (a type of shrubland), and woodlands.

It grows mostly in the Sierra Nevada foothills. You can also spot it in parts of the Central Coast Ranges. It loves these sunny, open places.

What the Plant Looks Like

This plant is an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. It usually grows to be about 10 to 30 centimeters tall. That's roughly the height of a ruler!

Its stem can be pale green or a bit reddish. It often feels soft because it's covered in fine, woolly hairs, almost like a spiderweb. The leaves of the plant are divided into several narrow parts. These parts also have small, jagged edges, like tiny teeth.

Its Unique Flowers

The foothill sunburst has a single flower head at the top of its stem. This isn't just one flower, but many tiny flowers grouped together. The flower head sits in a small, cup-shaped structure. This cup is made of about 8 tough, fused leaves called phyllaries.

From this cup, about 8 bright golden ray florets bloom outwards. These are the parts that look like petals. In the very center of the flower head, you'll find many tiny, hairless disc florets. These are the small, packed flowers that make up the center of the "sunburst."