Alpine glacier poppy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpine glacier poppy |
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| Papaver pygmaeum in Glacier National Park | |
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Papaver
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| Species: |
pygmaeum
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Papaver pygmaeum is a special kind of poppy often called the alpine glacier poppy. This small, beautiful flower grows in the high mountains of North America. You can find it in parts of British Columbia, Alberta, and Montana. It's quite rare, growing mostly where these three areas meet. Many of these plants live inside Glacier National Park.
Contents
What is the Alpine Glacier Poppy?
The alpine glacier poppy is a perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows a stem that can reach up to 12 centimeters (about 5 inches) tall. The plant has blue-green leaves that are about 5 centimeters long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of the alpine glacier poppy are small, about 2 centimeters (less than an inch) wide. Their petals can be yellow, orange-pink, or orange. They often have a yellow spot in the middle. These poppies usually bloom in July and August. After blooming, the plant produces a rough, hairy fruit called a capsule. This capsule is about 1.5 centimeters long.
Where Does it Grow?
This poppy lives in high mountain areas. It prefers alpine climates, which are very cold and windy. You can find it growing on rocky ground. This includes places like talus slopes, which are piles of broken rocks at the bottom of cliffs. It also grows in fell fields, which are open, rocky areas in the mountains.
Distribution
The alpine glacier poppy has a very specific home. It grows mainly where the borders of British Columbia, Alberta, and Montana meet. There are only about 23 known places where this plant grows. Most of these spots are in Montana, with a few in Alberta and just one in British Columbia. Many of these rare plants are protected within Glacier National Park.
See also
In Spanish: Papaver pygmaeum para niños
