Dwarf dandelion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwarf dandelion |
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K. virginica
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| Krigia virginica (L.) Willd.
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The Krigia virginica, also known as the dwarf dandelion or Virginia dwarf dandelion, is a small plant found in North America. It belongs to the aster family, which includes many familiar flowers like sunflowers and daisies.
This plant grows every year from a seed, meaning it's an annual plant. It starts with a small cluster of leaves close to the ground, called a rosette. This rosette can spread up to 6 inches wide. From the center of the rosette, one or more flower stems grow upwards. These stems can reach about 14 inches tall. What's cool is that these tiny plants can start blooming even when they are very small, sometimes only 2 inches wide!
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Leaves and Stems
The leaves of the dwarf dandelion grow from the base of the plant. They are usually light green and can be up to 3 inches long and ¾ inch wide. These leaves are often shaped like a spoon, wider at the tip and narrower at the base. They might have shallow, pointed edges, making them look a bit lobed. Sometimes, the edges of the leaves have tiny hairs or a slightly wavy look.
The flower stems are usually straight and do not have any leaves growing on them. They are mostly smooth, but you might find a few scattered hairs, especially near the top. Both the leaves and the stems contain a white, milky sap.
Flowers
Each stem ends with a single flower head, which is about ½ inch across. These flower heads are bright golden yellow. They are made up of several small, flat petals that spread outwards. Each petal has five tiny teeth at its tip, making it look a bit squared off.
At the base of each flower head, there are about 9 to 18 small, green leaf-like parts called bracts. These bracts are about ¼ inch long and are shaped like a spear. When the flower is blooming, these bracts stand upright. But as the seeds ripen, the bracts bend backward.
Life Cycle and Seeds
Blooming Period
The dwarf dandelion usually blooms from the middle of spring to the middle of summer. A group of these plants can keep blooming for about two to three months. This provides a long period for pollinators to visit the flowers.
Seeds and Spreading
After the flowers fade, small seeds develop. These seeds are shaped like tiny bullets, narrow at the bottom and flat at the top. Each seed has five small scales and a tuft of five hairs at its very top. The hairs are longer than the scales. These hairs help the seeds travel through the air, carried by the wind. This is how the plant spreads its seeds to new places.
The plant's root system is made of many thin, thread-like roots. The dwarf dandelion spreads mainly by dropping its seeds, which then grow into new plants.
See also
In Spanish: Krigia para niños
