Calistoga pincushionplant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calistoga pincushionplant |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Navarretia
|
| Species: |
heterodoxa
|
The Calistoga pincushionplant (scientific name: Navarretia heterodoxa) is a special flowering plant. It belongs to the phlox family. This plant is found only in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, USA. It loves to grow in the unique serpentine soils found on the hills and mountains there.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Calistoga pincushionplant is an annual plant. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. It is a small plant, usually growing up to about 24 centimeters (about 9.5 inches) tall.
Plant Features
- Stems and Leaves: Its stem is thin and covered with tiny hairs. The plant also has special glands that make it feel sticky.
- Smell: If you get close, you might notice it has a strong, "skunky" smell! This scent might help protect it from animals or attract certain insects.
- Leaves: The leaves are divided into very thin, almost thread-like or needle-like parts.
Flowers and How They Grow
The flowers of the Calistoga pincushionplant grow in a special cluster called an inflorescence. This looks like a small head of flowers.
Flower Details
- Bracts: Around the base of the flower head, there are leaf-like structures called bracts. These bracts are shaped a bit like a hand with fingers spread out (palmate).
- Color and Size: The flowers themselves are a pretty purple color. Each flower is about one centimeter (less than half an inch) long.
- Petals: The main part of the flower, called the corolla, is divided into five distinct lobes or sections.
Where It Lives
This plant is considered endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area. This means it naturally grows nowhere else in the world! It thrives in the specific conditions of serpentine soil, which is a type of soil that has unique minerals and is often found in hilly and mountainous regions of California.
