Kamchatka thistle facts for kids
The Cirsium kamtschaticum, also known as the Kamchatka thistle, is a type of plant found in Alaska and parts of East Asia. It belongs to the sunflower family, which includes many well-known flowers.
Quick facts for kids Kamchatka thistle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cirsium
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| Species: |
kamtschaticum
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| Synonyms | |
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About the Kamchatka Thistle
This interesting plant grows in eastern Russia. You can find it on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island, and the Kuril Islands. It also grows on islands in the North Pacific, like the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and Hokkaido Island in northern Japan.
What It Looks Like
The Kamchatka thistle can be a biennial or perennial herb. A biennial plant lives for two years. A perennial plant lives for more than two years. This thistle can grow quite tall, up to 200 centimeters (about 80 inches).
It has a thick underground stem called a rhizome. This rhizome helps the plant store food and spread. The leaves of the Kamchatka thistle can be up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) long. They have thin, bristly spines along their edges.
Flowers of the Thistle
The plant produces a few flower heads. Each flower head has many small flowers called disc florets. These florets are usually pink or purple. Unlike some other plants in the sunflower family, the Kamchatka thistle does not have ray florets. Ray florets are the petal-like parts you see on a daisy or sunflower.
