Plumeweed facts for kids

Carminatia tenuiflora, also known as plumeweed, is a type of plant. It grows for only one year. This plant belongs to the daisy family, just like sunflowers! You can find it mostly in Mexico. It also grows in the southwestern United States and Central America.

What Plumeweed Looks Like

Plumeweed plants have stems that stand straight up. Some stems have no branches, while others have just a few. They can be quite tall, from about 10 centimeters (4 inches) to over 100 centimeters (40 inches). That's like a small ruler to over three feet tall!

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves on the lower part of the stem usually grow directly across from each other. This is called an opposite arrangement. Higher up on the stem, the leaves might grow one after another, which is called an alternate arrangement.

The plant's flower heads are small and shaped like cylinders. They are only a few millimeters wide. These flower heads grow in groups that look like narrow spikes. Each flower head has 8 to 12 small flowers inside. These flowers are usually greenish or whitish.

Seeds and Fruit

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a special kind of fruit. It's called a cypsela. This fruit has a feathery top part called a pappus. The pappus helps the seeds float away in the wind. This is how the plant spreads its seeds.

Where Plumeweed Grows

You can find Carminatia tenuiflora in several places. It grows in Guatemala and El Salvador in Central America. It is also found in most parts of Mexico. In the United States, it grows in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western Texas.