Mt. Diablo phacelia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mt. Diablo phacelia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phacelia
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| Species: |
phacelioides
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The Phacelia phacelioides, also known as the Mt. Diablo phacelia, is a special type of phacelia plant. This unique plant grows only in California, especially in the coastal mountains near the inner San Francisco Bay Area. You can find it in places like Mount Diablo.
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About the Mt. Diablo Phacelia
The Mt. Diablo phacelia is a small plant that lives for only one year. It's called an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, makes new seeds, and then dies all within one growing season.
Where This Plant Lives
This plant is found only in California. It is endemic to the state, which means it naturally grows nowhere else in the world. It prefers to live in dry, shrubby areas called chaparral and in woodland habitats. Scientists know of about 20 different places where this plant grows in the coastal mountain ranges of the inner San Francisco Bay Area. One of the most well-known spots is Mount Diablo.
What the Mt. Diablo Phacelia Looks Like
The Mt. Diablo phacelia has a stem that grows straight up. It usually doesn't have many branches. This stem can be up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) tall. Both the stem and the leaves are covered in soft and stiff hairs, making the plant feel a bit fuzzy.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the Mt. Diablo phacelia can be up to 8 to 10 centimeters (about 3 to 4 inches) long. They have rounded or oval shapes and are attached to the stem by small stalks called petioles.
The plant's flowers grow in a special cluster. This cluster is hairy and curves or coils to one side. The flowers themselves are narrow and shaped like bells. Each flower is tiny, only about half a centimeter (less than an inch) long. They can be white or light purple, and sometimes they have darker purple lines. Each flower is surrounded by long, very hairy green leaf-like parts called sepals.
