Oblong bluecurls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oblong bluecurls |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Trichostema
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| Species: |
oblongum
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The Trichostema oblongum, also known as oblong bluecurls or mountain bluecurls, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the mint family, which is famous for its fragrant plants.
This plant is found naturally in California and the Northwestern United States. You can spot it in states like Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. It also grows further north into British Columbia, Canada.
Meet the Oblong Bluecurls
The oblong bluecurls plant likes to grow in certain places. You can often find it on the dry edges of meadows or along streambanks. It lives in different types of forests, such as Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, and Lodgepole Pine Forest. It also grows in Subalpine Forests, California Mixed Evergreen Forests, and North Coastal Coniferous Forests. This plant can be found at elevations from about 330 feet (100 meters) up to 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) high!
What Does it Look Like?
The Trichostema oblongum is an annual herb, which means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year. It can grow up to about 20 inches (50 centimeters) tall.
Its leaves smell nice and are covered in tiny hairs. Some of these hairs are glandular, meaning they can produce sticky substances. The leaves are long and shaped like a spear, measuring about 0.8 to 1.6 inches (2 to 4 centimeters) in length.
The flowers grow in clusters at each pair of leaves along the stem. Each flower has a hairy outer layer called a calyx, which is made of pointed parts called sepals. Inside, there's a purple, tube-shaped flower part called a corolla with a lip. Four curved stamens, which are the parts that hold pollen, stick out from the flower's lips.
