Sierra fringed gentian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sierra fringed gentian |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gentianopsis
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| Species: |
holopetala
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| Synonyms | |
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Gentiana holopetala |
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Gentianopsis holopetala is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the gentian family. People often call it the Sierra fringed gentian or just "Sierra gentian."
This plant grows naturally in the Sierra Nevada mountains and nearby areas in California and Nevada. You can find it in wet meadows, usually at high elevations, from about 6,000 to 11,000 feet (1,800 to 3,350 meters) above sea level.
What is the Sierra Fringed Gentian?
The Sierra fringed gentian is a type of annual or perennial herb. This means it can either live for just one growing season (annual) or come back year after year (perennial).
Its stems can be quite short, just a few centimeters long, or grow up to almost half a meter (about 20 inches) tall. Some stems lie flat on the ground, while others stand straight up. The plant has small, oval or spoon-shaped leaves. Most of these leaves grow at the base of the plant, but a few might be found higher up on the stem.
How Does the Sierra Fringed Gentian Flower?
Each flower of the Sierra fringed gentian grows at the end of a long stalk called a peduncle. This stalk can sometimes be even longer than the main stem of the plant!
The flower itself is shaped like a trumpet and can be up to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) long. It gets narrower at the opening and then flares out into a part called the corolla. The corolla has four lobes, which are like petals, and each lobe is about half as long as the main tube of the flower.
What Colors are the Flowers?
The flowers come in many shades of purple or blue. They often have stripes running lengthwise, which can be different shades of purple or even almost white. If you look inside the trumpet-shaped flower, the very center might be white.
The flower also has four green sepals. These are small, leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud. They are pointed and have a dark stripe. After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit that is a capsule. This capsule holds several bumpy seeds.
