Yellowray goldfields facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellowray goldfields |
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Lasthenia
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L. glabrata
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| Lasthenia glabrata |
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Lasthenia glabrata is a pretty yellow flower from North America. People often call it the yellowray goldfields or yellow-rayed lasthenia. This plant only grows in California, which means it's endemic there. You can find it in wet places like vernal pools and other damp areas. It grows all over California, from the very south in San Diego County up to Tehama County in the north.
Contents
Discovering the Yellowray Goldfields Plant
Lasthenia glabrata is a type of annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all in one year. It can grow up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall.
What the Plant Looks Like
The plant has a thin stem. Along the stem, you'll find a few pairs of leaves. These leaves are arranged opposite each other. They are long and thin, like lines, and can be up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. Their edges are smooth.
Understanding the Flowers
The plant produces beautiful yellow flower heads. These are often found alone or in small, loose groups. Each flower head has 7 to 15 bright yellow ray florets. These are the petal-like parts that look like rays coming out from the center.
In the middle of these ray florets, there are many tiny disc florets. These are also yellow and form the center of the flower head.
Seeds and Reproduction
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces small fruits. These fruits are called achenes. They are only a few millimeters long. An achene is a type of dry fruit that contains a single seed. Unlike some other plants, the achenes of Lasthenia glabrata do not have a special feathery top called a pappus.
Different Types of Yellowray Goldfields
There are two main types, or subspecies, of Lasthenia glabrata:
- Lasthenia glabrata subsp. glabrata: This type is found in the San Francisco Bay Area, Orange County, and the middle part of the Central Valley.
- Lasthenia glabrata subsp. coulteri: This type grows in southern California and the northern part of the Central Valley.
