Liatris cylindracea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liatris cylindracea |
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The Liatris cylindracea is a beautiful plant. It is also known by many other names. Some of these names are barrelhead blazing star and cylindrical blazing star. You might also hear it called Ontario blazing star or dwarf blazing star. This plant is part of the aster family. It grows naturally in eastern North America. You can find many of these plants in the Midwestern United States. They like to grow in places like prairies, rocky areas, and even sand dunes.
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What is the Barrelhead Blazing Star?
The cylindrical blazing star grows from a special underground stem called a corm. This corm is usually round, but it can sometimes be long. From the corm, a smooth stem grows. This stem can be about 20 to 60 centimeters (8 to 24 inches) tall.
Flowers of the Blazing Star
At the top of the stem, you will find one or more flower heads. These flower heads can be in a loose or tight group. There are usually 2 to 28 flower heads on one plant. Each flower head has 10 to 35 tiny flowers called florets. The flower heads either sit directly on the stem or have a small stem of their own. This small stem is about 2 to 10 millimeters long. It helps the flower head point upwards. The flowers usually bloom in the middle to late part of summer. They start blooming from the top of the plant's flower cluster.
Leaves of the Blazing Star
The leaves of the barrelhead blazing star are long and thin. They are usually about 8 to 25 centimeters (3 to 10 inches) long. They are also about 2 to 6 millimeters (0.08 to 0.24 inches) wide. Most of the leaves are smooth, but some might have a few hairs on their edges. The largest leaves are found a little above the bottom of the stem. As you go up the stem, the leaves gradually get smaller.
Seeds of the Blazing Star
After the flowers bloom, the plant makes seeds. These seeds are inside small fruits called cypselae. These fruits are about 5 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.28 inches) long. Each seed has a feathery top called a pappus. This feathery part helps the seeds fly away in the wind.
Deep Roots
The roots of the barrelhead blazing star can grow very deep. They can reach depths of up to 15 feet (4.6 meters)! This helps the plant find water deep underground.
