San Joaquin woollythread facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Joaquin woollythread |
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M. congdonii
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| Monolopia congdonii (A.Gray) B. G. Baldwin
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The Monolopia congdonii, also known as the San Joaquin woollythread, is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, just like sunflowers! This special plant is found only in California. You can mostly find it in the southern San Joaquin Valley and a small area in nearby Santa Barbara County. Because there are so few of them, the United States government has listed it as an endangered species. This means it needs special protection to survive.
What Does the San Joaquin Woollythread Look Like?
The San Joaquin woollythread is a small plant that lives for only one year. It grows from a seed, blooms, makes new seeds, and then dies, all within a single year. Its stem can either trail along the ground or stand up a little. The stem is covered in soft, woolly fibers, which is how it got part of its common name!
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are usually about 4 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. They have wavy edges, which gives them a unique look. At the end of the stem branches, you'll find its interesting inflorescences, which are groups of flowers.
Each flower head looks like a small, round dome. These heads are wrapped in special leaf-like parts called phyllaries. These phyllaries have tiny black hairs that feel sticky. In the center of each flower head, there are many tiny yellow disc florets. These also have sticky hairs. The plant also has yellow ray florets, which are like the "petals" of a daisy. However, on the San Joaquin woollythread, these ray florets are super tiny, only about half a millimeter long! They are so small that they are almost impossible to see without looking very closely. Each tiny ray floret has a slightly lobed tip.
