Leafy daisy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leafy daisy |
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| At Lake Poway, in San Diego County | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Erigeron
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| Species: |
foliosus
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
Erigeron foliosum Nutt.
Cineraria canescens Spreng. Diplopappus occidentalis Hook. & Arn. Erigeron brazoensis Buckley Erigeron canescens Hook. & Arn. Erigeron decumbens Benth. 1849 not Nutt. 1840 Erigeron douglasii Torr. & A.Gray Erigeron fragilis Greene Erigeron nuttallii A.Heller Erigeron quercifolius DC. Erigeron setchellii Jeps. Erigeron stenophyllus Nutt. 1847 not Hook. & Arn. 1836 Erigeron striatus Greene Erigeron tenuissimus Greene Erigeron confinis Howell, syn of var. confinis Erigeron blasdalei Greene, syn of var. hartwegii Erigeron hartwegii Greene, syn of var. hartwegii Erigeron mendocinus Greene, syn of var. mendocinus |
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Erigeron foliosus, also called the leafy daisy or leafy fleabane, is a pretty flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, just like sunflowers and dandelions!
This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it in places like Oregon, all across California, and even down into Baja California in Mexico. It likes many different kinds of places, including chaparral (a type of shrubland), oak woodlands, and rocky slopes.
What it Looks Like
The leafy daisy is a plant that comes back year after year. We call plants like this perennials. It grows in clumps and has branches. It can be anywhere from about 20 centimeters (8 inches) to 1 meter (3 feet) tall. It grows from strong, woody roots.
Unlike some other fleabane plants, Erigeron foliosus has leaves spread out evenly along its stem. These leaves can be thin and thread-like or wider and flat. They are usually between 1 and 7 centimeters (0.4 to 2.8 inches) long.
At the top of each branch, you'll find one or more flower heads. Each flower head is about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) wide. The center of the flower is bright golden yellow, made up of many tiny disc florets. Around the edge, there's a ring of up to 60 pale to medium purple ray florets, which look like petals.
Different Kinds of Leafy Daisy
Just like there are different breeds of dogs, there are different natural types, or varieties, of Erigeron foliosus. These varieties might look a little different or grow in slightly different places. Here are the main ones:
- Erigeron foliosus var. confinis — This type is special because it only grows in the Klamath Mountains. You can find it in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon.
- Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus — This is the most common type. It grows in many parts of California, from Amador and San Mateo Counties south to San Diego County. It also grows in Baja California.
- Erigeron foliosus var. franciscensis — This variety is only found in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Erigeron foliosus var. hartwegii — You can find this type in both California and Oregon.
- Erigeron foliosus var. mendocinus — Also known as the Mendocino erigeron or Mendocino fleabane. It grows in Mendocino and Del Norte County, California.
