Thurber's sandpaper plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thurber's sandpaper plant |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Petalonyx
|
| Species: |
thurberi
|
Petalonyx thurberi is a type of flowering plant. It is often called Thurber's sandpaper plant or common sandpaper plant. This plant gets its name because its stems feel rough, like sandpaper! It belongs to the Loasaceae plant family.
This plant grows naturally in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. You can find it in sandy areas and places with small bushes.
What is the Sandpaper Plant?
The sandpaper plant is a small, bushy plant. It grows in clumps and can spread out. Its stems are covered in rough hairs. These stems can grow up to about one meter (around 3 feet) tall.
What Does it Look Like?
The stems of the sandpaper plant have leaves that wrap around them. These leaves can be shaped like spears, triangles, or ovals. Sometimes, they even have small teeth on their edges.
The plant's white flowers grow in tight clusters at the end of the stems. Each flower looks a bit like a tube. The petals are joined near the top but open wider at the bottom. The stamens, which are the parts that hold pollen, stick out from the flower.
Different Kinds of Sandpaper Plants
There are two main types of Petalonyx thurberi, called subspecies. One of these, known as ssp. gilmanii, is much rarer. This special type is also called the Death Valley sandpaper plant. It is only found in the deserts around Death Valley.
