Parish's umbrellawort facts for kids

Tauschia parishii is a type of flowering plant that belongs to the carrot family. It's often called Parish's umbrellawort. This plant is special because it grows naturally only in California. This means you won't find it growing wild anywhere else in the world!

Where Parish's Umbrellawort Grows

This unique plant lives in several mountain areas across California. You can find it in places like the Sierra Nevada, White and Inyo Mountains, and the Tehachapi Mountains. It also grows in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains. Other spots include the western Transverse Ranges and the San Jacinto Mountains.

Plant Homes: Habitats

Parish's umbrellawort likes to grow in specific types of natural environments. These include:

• chaparral areas, which are like shrublands
• Yellow pine forests
• Red fir forests
• Pinyon-juniper woodlands, which have special pine and juniper trees

What Parish's Umbrellawort Looks Like

Tauschia parishii is a small plant that grows close to the ground. It is a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It usually grows between 10 and 40 centimeters tall. That's about the length of a school ruler!

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant have long, thin parts called leaflets. These leaflets are further divided into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces often have jagged edges or small lobes.

The plant's flowers grow in a special shape called a compound umbel. This looks like an umbrella, with many small flower stalks spreading out from a central point. The flowers are yellow. Each "umbrella" has about 12 to 18 rays, or spokes, which can be a few centimeters long.

Fruit

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is oblong, which means it's longer than it is wide. It has clear, raised lines called ribs on its surface. Each fruit is quite small, measuring between one half and one centimeter long.