Garberia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garberia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
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| Order: | |
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Eupatorieae
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| Genus: |
Garberia
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| Species: |
G. heterophylla
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| Binomial name | |
| Garberia heterophylla (Bartram) Merr. & F.Harper
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| Synonyms | |
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Cacalia heterophylla |
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Garberia is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, also known as Asteraceae. This plant is unique because it's the only species in its group, called a monotypic genus. Its full name is Garberia heterophylla.
You can only find this plant in Florida, United States. It grows mostly in the northern and central parts of the state. People often call it garberia or Garber's scrub starts.
Contents
What Garberia Looks Like
The garberia plant is a shrub. It usually grows to be about 1 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet) tall. It has stems that stand up straight and branch out.
When the branches are new, they might feel a bit sticky or powdery. They can also be slightly hairy. When they dry, you might see grooves on them.
Leaves and Flowers
Young garberia plants have leaves that grow opposite each other near the bottom. But on older, grown-up plants, the leaves usually grow in an alternating pattern along the branches.
The leaves are gray-green and can be sticky or powdery when they are new. They grow up to 3.5 centimeters (about 1.4 inches) long.
The plant produces small, tube-shaped flower heads. Each head is about half a centimeter wide. These flowers grow in open groups called inflorescences.
Each flower head usually has five pink or purple flowers inside. These flowers are called disc florets and smell nice. They can be up to one centimeter long.
Fruits and Seeds
After the flowers bloom, the plant makes fruits. These fruits are rough and have ribs. They also have many long, thin bristles called a pappus.
The fruits stay on the plant, and their long, brown pappi make the shrub easy to spot in winter. These pappi also help the seeds fly away on the wind, spreading the plant to new places.
Naming the Garberia Plant
The genus Garberia was named by a botanist named Asa Gray. He named it to honor another American botanist, Abram Paschal Garber.
Where Garberia Grows
This plant likes to grow in special places in Florida. You can find it in areas called Florida scrub, flatwoods, and along coastal dunes. It also grows on ridges, hills, and prairies.
It often grows near oak trees and different kinds of pine trees, like the sand pine. Garberia prefers dry, sandy soils that don't have much rich organic material.
Flowering Season
While garberia can flower almost all year, its main flowering time is in the fall. This is when you'll see the most blooms.
Garberia and Bees
Garberia is very important for many native bees. Its flowers provide nectar, which is a sweet liquid that bees love to eat. Many different types of bees visit garberia, including:
- Agapostemon splendens
- Anthidiellum notatum
- Augochlora pura
- Augochlorella aurata
- Augochloropsis metallica
- Bombus impatiens
- Coelioxys mexicana
- Coelioxys sayi
- Colletes mandibularis
- Dialictus miniatulus
- Dialictus nymphalis
- Dialictus placidensis
- Epeolus carolinus
- Megachile mendica
- Megachile pruina
- Megachile xylocopoides
- Xylocopa virginica
How Garberia is Classified
Garberia belongs to a group of plants called the Eupatorieae tribe. This tribe is part of the larger aster family. Like other plants in this group, garberia's flower heads only have disc florets, not ray florets (which are the petal-like parts you see on a daisy).
It is also part of a smaller group called Liatrinae. Another plant in this group is Carphephorus.
Garberia is closely related to the genus Liatris. However, you can tell them apart because Garberia is a shrub, while Liatris is an herbaceous perennial (meaning it's a plant that dies back in winter but grows again from its roots each year). They also have different karyotypes, which means their chromosomes are arranged differently.
See also
In Spanish: Garberia para niños
