Hosackia crassifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hosackia crassifolia |
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Hosackia crassifolia is a cool plant also known as big deervetch or broad-leafed lotus. It's a type of legume, which means it belongs to the pea family, just like beans and peanuts! You can find this plant growing naturally in parts of Washington, California, and Oregon in the United States. It also grows in Baja California in Mexico.
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Where Big Deervetch Grows
This plant is native to western North America. It grows in the U.S. states of California, Oregon, and Washington. You can also find it further south in Baja California, Mexico.
In California, Hosackia crassifolia lives in many different places. These include chaparral areas, which are like shrublands. It also grows in California oak woodlands and California mixed evergreen forests. Sometimes, you can even spot it in conifer forests, which are forests with cone-bearing trees like pines.
What Big Deervetch Looks Like
Hosackia crassifolia is a plant that lives for many years. It often grows into a somewhat bushy shape. It has long, straight stems with oval-shaped leaves that are spaced out evenly.
Flowers and Seeds
This plant produces thick groups of beautiful pea-like flowers. These flowers can be yellow, or a mix of pink and yellow, or even scarlet and yellow! They usually bloom from May to August. After the flowers, the plant grows brownish pea pods. Inside these pods, you'll find speckled red or brown peas.
Different Kinds of Big Deervetch
Just like there are different kinds of apples, there are different kinds, or "varieties," of Hosackia crassifolia.
- Hosackia crassifolia var. crassifolia: This is the most common type, known as broad-leafed lotus.
- Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis: This variety is called Otay Mountain lotus or Otay Mountain hosackia. It is very special because it only grows in one specific place: Otay Mountain in the San Ysidro Mountains of San Diego County, California. Because it grows in such a small area and there are very few of them left, it is considered a critically endangered species. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
