Lyon's pentachaeta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lyon's pentachaeta |
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P. lyonii
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| Pentachaeta lyonii |
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The Lyon's pentachaeta or Lyon's pygmydaisy (scientific name: Pentachaeta lyonii) is a small plant that lives for only one year. It belongs to the daisy family, also known as Asteraceae. This special plant grows only in southern California. Sadly, it is now found in very few places along the busy coastlines of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Because it's so rare, the government has listed it as an endangered species, meaning it's protected by law.
Where Does It Live?
Long ago, there were 43 groups of Pentachaeta lyonii plants. They lived in places like the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Valley, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Catalina Island.
However, by 2006, scientists could only find 21 of these groups. The plants on the Palos Verdes Peninsula were thought to be completely gone.
Good news came in 2011! Scientists found 112 plants on Catalina Island near Two Harbors. Before that, everyone thought they had disappeared from the island too.
Another place where the plant was thought to be gone was Stunt Ranch. No flowering plants had been seen there since 1990. But in 2020, botanists from the Catalina Island Conservancy found 19 plants again! This was near where the plant was first discovered in 1885 by W.S. Lyon.
The Pentachaeta lyonii received special protection in 1990 to help save it.
What Does It Look Like?
Pentachaeta lyonii usually grows in soil that is firm and doesn't get disturbed much. It also prefers areas where there aren't many other plants competing for space.
Scientists have grown these plants in greenhouses using light, airy soil. They are still trying to figure out if the plant grows in compact soil because it needs certain nutrients or just because there's less competition there.
For the plant to make seeds, it needs insects to help with pollination. This means insects carry pollen from one flower to another, which helps the plant reproduce.
