Lemmon's lessingia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lemmon's lessingia |
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Astereae
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L. lemmonii
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| Lessingia lemmonii |
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Lessingia lemmonii is a special kind of flowering plant in the daisy family. People often call it Lemmon's lessingia. This plant grows naturally in the western United States. You can find it where the states of Nevada, Arizona, and California meet. It likes to grow in sandy places, like deserts.
About Lemmon's Lessingia
Lemmon's lessingia is an annual plant. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, makes new seeds, and then dies all in one year. It has stems that are a gray-green color and feel a bit woolly. These stems can grow low to the ground, only a few centimeters high. Or, they can stand up straight, reaching about 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) tall.
Where It Grows
This plant is native to a specific area in the western United States. It thrives in places where the borders of Nevada, Arizona, and California meet. You'll often find it in desert areas or other habitats that have sandy soil. It's well-suited to dry, open environments.
What It Looks Like
The leaves of Lemmon's lessingia are narrow and small. They are usually less than 2 centimeters (less than an inch) long. When the plant is young, it has much larger leaves around its base. However, these bigger leaves soon dry up and fall off.
Its Flowers and Seeds
The plant's flower heads can appear by themselves or in small groups. Each flower head has a bell or bullet shape at its base. This base is covered with hairy or woolly parts called phyllaries.
The flower heads are "discoid," which means they only have disc florets, not the petal-like ray florets you see on a typical daisy. These disc florets are yellow and shaped like funnels with long lobes. Sometimes, these yellow florets have white marks inside their throats. After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. This fruit is a type of seed called an achene. It has a whitish or brownish pappus, which is like a fluffy crown of bristles that helps the seed float away in the wind.
