Sierra podistera facts for kids

Podistera nevadensis is a special kind of flowering plant. It is part of the carrot family. People often call it the Sierra podistera or Nevada podistera. This plant is not very common, which means it is a bit rare to find.

What Does It Look Like?

The Sierra podistera is a perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows in a very interesting way, forming a thick, soft cushion. You can often find it growing in cracks in rocks. This plant can spread out about half a meter wide but only grows a few centimeters tall. Imagine a very flat, wide plant!

It grows from a main root called a taproot, which goes deep into the ground. It does not have a tall stem like many plants. Instead, its leaves grow close together, forming a flat mat.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of the Sierra podistera are a pale green color and feel a bit fleshy. They are usually less than one centimeter long. Each leaf is divided into many tiny, pointed parts, like a miniature fern leaf. These leaves also have short, rough, whitish hairs on them.

The plant's flowers grow in a special cluster called an umbel. An umbel looks a bit like an umbrella, with flower stalks coming from a single point. The flowers are yellow and grow on a small stalk, called a peduncle, which is about 3 centimeters tall. These tiny yellow flowers are held together in a cup-shaped part made of small, fused leaves called bractlets.

Where Does It Live?

The Sierra podistera is an endemic plant. This means it only grows naturally in one specific place. For this plant, that place is California. You can find it only on the very highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the White Mountains, the Inyo Mountains, and the San Bernardino Mountains.

This plant loves cold, high-up places. It grows in alpine climates, which are like mountain tops where it is very cold and windy. It lives above the tree line, which is the elevation where trees stop growing because it is too harsh. You will often see it growing in gravel and rocky slopes called talus.