Ray hymenopappus facts for kids

Hymenopappus radiatus, also known as the ray hymenopappus, is a beautiful flowering plant found in North America. It belongs to the daisy family, which includes many common and well-known flowers.

This plant is special because it is endemic to the state of Arizona in the southwestern United States. This means it naturally grows only in Arizona and nowhere else in the world!

What is Ray Hymenopappus?

The ray hymenopappus is a type of plant called a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years, often coming back to life each spring after winter. It can grow to be about 45 centimeters (or 18 inches) tall.

How Do Its Flowers Look?

Each ray hymenopappus plant produces several flower heads on its stems, usually about 6 to 8 per stem. Each flower head is quite unique and colorful.

• Each head has 8 white ray flowers. These are the petal-like parts that spread out from the center, similar to the petals on a daisy.
• In the middle of these white ray flowers, there are 30 to 50 small, yellow disc flowers. These tiny flowers are packed closely together in the center of the flower head.

This combination of white ray flowers and yellow disc flowers makes the ray hymenopappus a lovely sight in the Arizona landscape.