Hartweg's golden sunburst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hartweg's golden sunburst |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: |
P. bahiifolia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudobahia bahiifolia (Benth.) Rydb.
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Monolopia bahiifolia |
|
Hartweg's golden sunburst (Pseudobahia bahiifolia) is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which includes sunflowers and daisies. This small plant is special because it only grows in a few places in California, USA. It's an endangered species, meaning it's at risk of disappearing forever.
Where Does It Grow?
Hartweg's golden sunburst is a plant that is endemic to California. This means it naturally grows nowhere else in the world! You can find it in only a few small areas. These areas are located along the eastern side of California's Central Valley. It also grows in the lower central Sierra Nevada foothills.
This plant likes to grow in grasslands and oak woodland areas. It especially prefers heavy clay soils. You might find it growing on top of small, natural mounds called Mima mounds. Sadly, much of the land where this plant used to grow has been changed. This is mostly due to agriculture. Because of this habitat loss, the plant was listed as a federally endangered species in the United States in 1997.
What Does It Look Like?
Hartweg's golden sunburst is an annual herb. This means it lives for only one growing season. It usually grows to be about 5 to 20 centimeters tall. That's roughly the length of a pencil!
The plant has a thin layer of soft, woolly hairs. Its leaves are long and narrow, or shaped like a spear. They can be up to 2.5 centimeters long. Often, these leaves have three small bumps or lobes near their tips.
The plant produces a single, sunflower-like flower head. This head is surrounded by three to eight special leaves called phyllaries. For each phyllary, there is one golden ray floret. These are the "petals" you see on a sunflower. They can be up to a centimeter long. Sometimes, they have a slight tooth-like shape at their tips. In the very center of the flower head, you'll find many small yellow disc florets. These plants bloom for about 3 to 4 weeks, usually in March and April. After blooming, the plant produces a small fruit called an achene, which is about 2 millimeters long.
Why Is It Endangered?
The biggest danger to Hartweg's golden sunburst is the destruction of its habitat. This often happens when land is cleared for new homes and buildings. About 90% of all these plants live in just two main locations. When the plant was officially listed as an Endangered species, one of these important areas was planned to be cleared for new housing. This shows how close this plant is to disappearing if its habitat isn't protected.
