Miniature suncup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miniature suncup |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Camissoniopsis
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| Species: |
micrantha
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Camissoniopsis micrantha is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the evening primrose family. People often call it the miniature suncup because of its small, bright yellow flowers.
Contents
Where the Miniature Suncup Grows
This plant is special because it is endemic to California. This means it only grows naturally in California and nowhere else in the world. You can find it in different parts of the state. It likes to grow along the coast. It also lives in the coastal mountains. You might see it as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area. It also grows in the Central Valley.
What Kind of Places Does it Like?
The miniature suncup prefers sandy areas. This can be on beaches right by the ocean. It also grows on slopes further inland. It can adapt to many different kinds of sandy places.
What Does the Miniature Suncup Look Like?
The miniature suncup is a small plant. It is an annual herb. This means it lives for only one growing season. It starts from a seed, grows, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies, all within a year. The plant is usually quite hairy.
Leaves and Stems
At the bottom of the plant, it forms a group of leaves called a basal rosette. These are the biggest leaves on the plant. The main stem can grow in different ways. It might stand tall, up to half a meter high. Or it could be very short and flat on the ground. Sometimes it has branches, and sometimes it doesn't. The leaves that grow on the stem are narrower and shorter than the ones in the rosette.
Flowers and Fruit
The plant produces many flowers. These flowers grow in a cluster called an inflorescence. Each flower has petals that are less than 5 millimeters long. They are a bright yellow color. As the flowers get older and close, they change color to a reddish shade. If the stem is tall, the weight of the flowers can make it bend over.
How the Miniature Suncup Reproduces
The flowers of the miniature suncup have a special way of reproducing. They self-pollinate. This means they can make seeds using their own pollen. They don't need pollen from another plant. After the flower is pollinated, it forms a fruit. This fruit is a long, tube-shaped capsule. It is usually 1 to 2 centimeters long. This capsule holds the new seeds for the next generation of plants.
Images for kids
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In comparison with a human finger
