Redray alpinegold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hulsea heterochroma |
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Hulsea
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H. heterochroma
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| Hulsea heterochroma Gray 1868
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The Hulsea heterochroma is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, just like the daisies you might see in a field! People often call it the redray alpinegold because of its pretty colors.
This plant naturally grows in the Southwestern United States and California. You can find it in places like chaparral (shrublands), yellow pine forests, and open areas. It likes to grow high up, between 3,000 and 9,000 feet (about 900 to 2,700 meters) above sea level.
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What Does the Redray Alpinegold Look Like?
The Hulsea heterochroma can be an annual plant, meaning it lives for one year. It can also be a perennial, which means it lives for more than two years. It grows thick, green stems with lots of leaves. These stems can reach over one meter (about 40 inches) tall!
Leaves and Stems
The leaves of this plant are long, usually 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches). They have small "teeth" along their edges. Both the leaves and the stems are covered in tiny, sticky hairs. These are called glandular hairs. They might help protect the plant or catch small insects.
Flower Heads
The plant produces many flower heads. These grow on a leafy stalk called an inflorescence. Each flower head is also covered in those small, sticky glandular hairs.
The flower heads have green, pointy parts called phyllaries. These are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. They are usually over a centimeter (0.4 inches) long.
Colors of the Flowers
The center of each flower head is full of many small, yellow disc florets. These are tiny, tube-shaped flowers. Around the edge, you'll see 28 to 75 narrow, thread-like petals. These are called ray florets. They are a beautiful red-orange to reddish-pink color. Each one can be up to a centimeter (0.4 inches) long.
Seeds and Fruit
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a small, hairy seed called an achene. It is usually 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.32 inches) long. This achene helps the plant spread its seeds and grow new plants.
