Narrow-leaf gumweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Narrow-leaf gumweed |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Grindelia
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| Species: |
lanceolata
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Grindelia lanceolata, also known as narrowleaf gumweed, is a cool flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which is a very large group of plants. This plant gets its common name "gumweed" because its flower buds often have a sticky, resin-like substance on them.
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Where Does Narrowleaf Gumweed Grow?
Native Home of Grindelia lanceolata
Narrowleaf gumweed is originally from the south-central United States. You can find it mainly in areas like the Ozarks, the Interior Low Plateaus, and the southern Great Plains. This includes states such as Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado. It also grows in Northeastern Mexico.
Other Places You Might Find It
Sometimes, you can spot this plant in other places too. There are smaller groups of Grindelia lanceolata in Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, and Connecticut. Some of these plants might have spread there naturally, while others might have been introduced by people.
What Kind of Places Does It Like?
This plant loves to grow in special spots. It often prefers areas called limestone glades. These are open, rocky places where the soil is thin and full of limestone. It also likes rocky prairies, which are grasslands with lots of stones.
What Does Narrowleaf Gumweed Look Like?
Size and Leaves
Grindelia lanceolata is a plant that doesn't live for many years. It's known as a monocarpic perennial, which means it grows for a few years, flowers once, and then dies. It can grow quite tall, reaching up to 150 centimeters (about 5 feet). Its leaves are long, up to 11 centimeters (about 4.4 inches). They usually don't have many hairs, or sometimes no hairs at all.
Its Bright Yellow Flowers
In the summer, this plant shows off its beautiful yellow flowers. These flowers often grow in flat-topped groups, making a nice display. Sometimes, you might see just one flower on a stalk. Each flower head is special. It has between 12 and 36 "ray flowers" around the outside. These look like petals. In the center, there are many tiny "disc flowers."
See also
In Spanish: Grindelia lanceolata para niños
