Krigia montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Krigia montana |
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K. montana
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| Krigia montana (Michx.) Nutt. 1818
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The Mountain dwarfdandelion (scientific name: Krigia montana) is a special plant found in North America. It belongs to the sunflower family, which is a very large group of flowering plants. This plant gets its common name, "dwarfdandelion," because its flowers look a bit like tiny dandelions.
About the Mountain Dwarfdandelion
The Mountain dwarfdandelion is a type of plant called a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years and usually comes back each spring. It can grow to be about 50 centimeters (or 20 inches) tall. That's about the height of a large ruler!
What it Looks Like
Each Mountain dwarfdandelion plant can produce many bright flowers. One plant might have 20 or more flower heads. Each flower head is like a small sun, with 25 to 60 yellow "ray flowers." These are the petal-like parts you see around the edge. Interestingly, this plant does not have "disc flowers," which are the tiny flowers usually found in the center of a sunflower or daisy.
Where it Lives
This unique plant is native to a specific part of the United States. You can find it in the Great Smoky Mountains and other tall peaks nearby. These mountains are part of the southern Appalachian Mountains. It grows in states like Tennessee, the Carolinas (both North and South Carolina), and Georgia.
The Mountain dwarfdandelion likes to live in tough places. It often grows on cliffs and rocky outcrops. These are high places where the plant can get lots of sunlight. Its ability to thrive in such challenging environments makes it a very resilient plant.
