Frasera neglecta facts for kids

The Pine Green Gentian (scientific name: Frasera neglecta) is a special type of flowering plant. It belongs to the gentian family. This plant is also known by its older scientific name, Swertia neglecta.

This plant is found only in California. This means it is endemic to California. It grows in certain parts of the state. These areas include the Western Transverse Ranges. It is also found in the Greater Los Angeles region. You can also find it in the Southern California Coast Ranges.

The Pine Green Gentian likes to grow in specific places. These include chaparral areas. It also grows in oak woodlands. These are places with many oak trees. It can be found in other similar habitats too.

What the Pine Green Gentian Looks Like

The Frasera neglecta is a perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows back each year. It has one or more straight stems. These stems grow from a rosette of leaves at its base. The plant can grow to about half a meter tall.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are long and narrow. They are green with white edges. The largest leaves are at the bottom of the plant. They can grow up to 20 centimeters long.

The flowers grow in a dense cluster called an inflorescence. This cluster is at the top of the stem. Sometimes, the flowers are in several smaller groups. Each flower has a calyx. This is made of four pointed sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the bud.

The flower also has a corolla. This is made of four pointed parts called lobes. Each lobe can be up to 1.5 centimeters long. The corolla is greenish-white with purple stripes. Inside the flower, there are four stamens. Stamens are the parts that make pollen. They have large anthers at their tips. In the very center is the ovary. This is where the seeds will form.