Phacelia inyoensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Phacelia inyoensis |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phacelia
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| Species: |
inyoensis
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The Inyo phacelia (Phacelia inyoensis) is a special type of wildflower. It is a rare plant that grows only in certain parts of California. You can find it in Inyo and Mono Counties. This plant often lives inside the Inyo National Forest.
Discovering the Inyo Phacelia
Where Does it Grow?
The Inyo phacelia is an endemic plant. This means it naturally lives only in a specific area. For this plant, that area is parts of eastern California. It grows in the Sierra Nevada, Inyo Mountains, and White Mountains. You can also find it in the valley meadows between these mountains. This plant likes to grow in meadows where the soil is alkaline. Alkaline soil is a type of soil that has a higher pH level.
What Does it Look Like?
The Inyo phacelia is an annual herb. This means it is a plant that completes its entire life cycle in one year. It grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies, all within a single growing season. The plant usually grows to be about 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) tall.
It has leaves that grow in a group at the bottom of the plant. These leaves are rounded or oval and have small lobes. They grow on short stems called petioles. The entire plant feels sticky because it is glandular. It is also covered in stiff hairs.
Its Flowers
The flowers of the Inyo phacelia grow in a cluster called an inflorescence. This cluster is shaped like a cyme. Each flower is bell-shaped and very small, only about 2 or 3 millimeters long. Many other types of phacelia plants have purple or blue flowers. However, the Inyo phacelia is different. Its small, pretty flowers are a light yellow color.
