Orcutt's bristleweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orcutt's bristleweed |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Hazardia (plant)
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| Species: |
orcuttii
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| Synonyms | |
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Hazardia orcuttii is a special flowering plant found in North America. It's often called Orcutt's bristleweed or Orcutt's goldenbush. This plant is quite rare and is part of the Asteraceae family, which includes flowers like daisies and sunflowers. You can find it in California, United States, and Baja California, Mexico.
About Orcutt's Bristleweed
This plant is very rare. In California, it grows in only one place: near the city of Encinitas. This area is a protected zone called the Manchester Conservation Area. In Mexico, it can be found in about 11 to 17 different spots.
What Does It Look Like?
Hazardia orcuttii is a bushy plant that can grow up to about 100 centimeters (or 3 feet) tall. It has tough, pointed leaves that are about 5 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters wide.
Its flowers are shaped like a top and have many small petals (called ray florets) and tiny tube-shaped flowers (called disc florets). These are surrounded by 40 to 60 sticky, leaf-like parts. The plant's fruit is only a few millimeters long. It has a brown, feathery top that is about half a centimeter long.
Where Does It Grow?
Hazardia orcuttii likes to grow in areas with coastal sage scrub and chaparral plants. It prefers rocky ground made of sandstone. In California, the plants live about 2 miles away from the ocean.
The California group has about 600 plants. Another rare plant, Acanthomintha ilicifolia, also known as the San Diego thornmint, grows nearby. In Baja California, Mexico, Hazardia orcuttii grows along the coast. This area stretches south from Tijuana to Colonet. In 1979, many of these plants were found there. However, new buildings and cattle grazing have reduced the number of plants in recent years.
Why Is It Rare?
Hazardia orcuttii is a rare species, and it faces several challenges. Even though the California plants are in a protected area, they are not completely safe. People hiking and biking on trails, and dogs running without leashes, can disturb the plants' home. People are working to protect this special plant.
Sometimes, insects or a type of fungus can harm the plants, but scientists don't know much about this problem yet. Also, the California plants are at risk from wildfire. This area is naturally prone to fires, but it hasn't burned in a while, which can make future fires more dangerous. In Mexico, fast coastal development is changing the plant's natural home. None of the places where Hazardia orcuttii grows in Baja California are protected.
