Ferris' goldfields facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ferris' goldfields |
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Lasthenia
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L. ferrisiae
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| Lasthenia ferrisiae Ornduff
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Lasthenia ferrisiae is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, just like sunflowers! People often call it Ferris' goldfields. This plant is special because it only grows in one place: the California Central Valley. You can find it in wet areas called vernal pools and salty, flat lands known as alkali flats.
About Ferris' Goldfields
This plant, Lasthenia ferrisiae, is an annual herb. This means it lives for only one growing season. It can grow up to about 40 centimeters tall, which is less than half a meter.
Ferris' goldfields can look a bit different from one plant to another. It is quite similar to other plants in the Lasthenia group. Scientists think it might be a mix of two other types of goldfields: Lasthenia chrysantha and Lasthenia glabrata. These two plants grow in the same areas as Ferris' goldfields.
What It Looks Like
The stem of the plant can be branched or straight. It has smooth, thin leaves that can be up to 8 centimeters long.
At the top of the stems, you'll find the inflorescences, which are groups of flower heads. These flower heads have green parts called phyllaries that are joined together and smooth.
Each flower head has many small yellow flowers in the center. These are called disc florets. Around the edge, there's a ring of tiny yellow ray florets, which look like petals.
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a flat, oval-shaped achene, which is a type of dry fruit. It's very small, only about 2 millimeters long.
