Herrickia kingii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Herrickia kingii |
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H. kingii
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| Herrickia kingii (D.C.Eaton) Brouillet, Urbatsch & R.P.Roberts 2004
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Herrickia kingii is a special kind of flowering plant found only in Utah, a state in the western United States. People often call it the King's serpentweed or King's aster. It belongs to the large aster family, which includes many familiar flowers like daisies and sunflowers.
Discovering the King's Aster
The King's aster is a small plant that lives for many years. It doesn't grow very tall, usually less than 12 centimeters (about 5 inches). That's shorter than a standard pencil!
What Does It Look Like?
This plant grows from a tough, woody base that stays underground. This helps it survive year after year. The King's aster produces pretty flower heads. Each plant can have one to five of these flower heads.
Each flower head is like a tiny bouquet. It has two main parts:
- Ray florets: These are the petal-like parts around the outside. They can be white or a soft lavender color. There are usually between 13 and 27 of these "petals" on each flower head.
- Disc florets: These are the tiny, yellow flowers packed tightly in the center. You might find 29 to 47 of these little yellow flowers in the middle of each head.
Where Does It Grow?
The King's aster is quite rare because it grows only in Utah. This makes it a unique part of the plant life in that state. Scientists study plants like this to understand more about Earth's amazing biodiversity.
