Lanceleaf blanketflower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lanceleaf blanketflower |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gaillardia
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| Species: |
aestivalis
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
Helenium aestivale Walter
Gaillardia aestivale (Walter) H.Rock Gaillardia bicolor Elliott Gaillardia chrysantha Small Gaillardia fastigiata Greene Gaillardia lanceolata Michx. Gaillardia lutea Greene Gaillardia rigida Small ex Rydb. |
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Gaillardia aestivalis, also known as the lanceleaf blanketflower, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which includes many well-known flowers like sunflowers and daisies. This plant grows naturally in the south-central and southern parts of the United States. You can find it from Texas all the way to Florida, and north to the Carolinas, Arkansas, and Kansas. People also grow it in their gardens because it's so pretty.
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Discovering the Lanceleaf Blanketflower
The lanceleaf blanketflower is a type of plant that lives for more than two years. It is called a perennial herb. Sometimes, it grows from a special underground stem called a rhizome. This plant can grow quite tall, reaching about 60 centimeters (2 feet) or even more.
What Does It Look Like?
The leaves of the lanceleaf blanketflower grow one after another along its stem. They can be different shapes and grow up to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long. The leaves closer to the top of the plant might wrap around the stem a little.
The plant's flower heads are surrounded by small, leaf-like parts called phyllaries. Each flower head usually has 6 to 12 "ray florets," which are like the petals you see on a daisy. Sometimes there can be up to 15, or even none at all! These ray florets can be purplish, yellowish, or whitish.
In the center of the flower head, there are many "disc florets." These are the tiny flowers that make up the middle part. Their color can also change, especially depending on the plant's variety. After the flowers bloom, they produce a type of fruit called an achene. This achene can be up to a centimeter (0.4 inches) long. It has a fluffy top called a pappus, which helps the seeds fly away in the wind.
Where Does This Plant Grow?
The lanceleaf blanketflower is native to a large area of the southern and south-central United States. This includes states like Texas, Florida, the Carolinas, Arkansas, and Kansas. In the past, it was also found in Missouri, but it might not grow there anymore. Sometimes, you can also find it growing in new places, like Nebraska, where it was introduced by people.
Special Varieties
There are three different types, or varieties, of this plant. One of them is quite rare! It's called var. winkleri, also known as Winkler's blanketflower or white fire-wheel. This special variety only grows in one specific place: the Piney Woods region of Texas. When a plant only grows in one specific area, it is called endemic to that place.
