Mono County phacelia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mono County phacelia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Phacelia
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| Species: |
monoensis
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The Phacelia monoensis, also known as the Mono County phacelia, is a special and somewhat rare type of wild plant. It belongs to the phacelia family. This small plant is an annual herb, which means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year.
Where Does Mono County Phacelia Grow?
The Mono County phacelia is found naturally in a specific part of the United States. It lives in the Great Basin region, which includes high, flat areas east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. You can find it in Mono County, California, and also in the central western part of Nevada.
This plant likes to grow in areas with sagebrush, on gentle wooded slopes, and in wide-open spaces. It especially likes soils that are made of alkaline clay. These soils can be a bit salty or have a higher pH level. Interestingly, this phacelia seems to grow best in places where the ground has been moved around. This includes areas along road construction sites or where mining activities have taken place.
What Does Mono County Phacelia Look Like?
The Mono County phacelia is a small plant. It grows in patches and has strong stems that spread out along the ground. These stems can reach about 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long. The plant feels a bit sticky and is covered lightly with tiny hairs.
Its leaves are quite small, usually about 1 or 2 centimeters (about 0.4 to 0.8 inches) long. Sometimes, the edges of the leaves have small rounded sections, like tiny lobes. The plant's flowers grow in a cluster called an inflorescence. This cluster is hairy and sticky, just like the stems. The flowers are yellow and shaped like narrow bells. Each flower is very tiny, measuring less than 0.5 centimeters (about 0.2 inches) long. They usually grow on one side of the stem.
