MacDonald's rockcress facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MacDonald's rockcress |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Arabis
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| Species: |
macdonaldiana
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Arabis macdonaldiana is a special flowering plant known as MacDonald's rockcress. It belongs to the mustard family. This plant grows naturally in northern California and Oregon. You can find it in places with newly exposed, bare serpentine soil. These are often open areas within temperate coniferous forests.
MacDonald's rockcress is quite rare and is considered an endangered species. There are only a few places where it grows in California and about two known spots in Oregon. Its biggest threat comes from mining, especially for metals like nickel. These metals are often found in serpentine soils. On September 29, 1978, MacDonald's rockcress became the second plant ever to be officially listed as an endangered species by the U.S. government. This means it gets special protection to help it survive.
What Does MacDonald's Rockcress Look Like?
This plant is a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years. It grows one or more thin stems from a small, branching base called a caudex. These stems can reach about 10 to 30 centimeters tall, which is roughly the length of a ruler.
Leaves and Flowers
At the bottom of the plant, there's a cluster of leaves. These leaves often have small, widely spaced teeth along their edges. Sometimes, these teeth even have tiny spines! Other times, the leaves might not have teeth at all and can have wavy edges. You might also see a few smaller leaves growing along the stem.
At the top of the stem, you'll find a group of flowers. This group is called an inflorescence. Each flower has four bright, rose-purple petals, making the plant quite pretty.
Fruit and Seeds
After the flowers bloom, they produce a fruit called a silique. This fruit is flat and straight, usually about 3 centimeters long. Inside the silique, there are several small, oblong (oval-shaped) seeds. These seeds are how the plant makes new plants.
