Houston tansyaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Houston tansyaster |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Tribe: |
Astereae
|
| Genus: |
Rayjacksonia
|
| Species: |
R. aurea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Rayjacksonia aurea (A.Gray) R.L.Hartm. & M.A.Lane
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Machaeranthera aurea |
|
Rayjacksonia aurea is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which includes daisies and sunflowers. People often call it the Houston tansyaster or Houston camphor daisy.
This plant is special because it is endemic to Texas. This means it grows naturally only in one specific place. For the Houston tansyaster, that place is the Houston area. You can find it only in Galveston and Harris Counties.
Contents
What is the Houston Tansyaster?
The Houston tansyaster is an annual herb. This means it is a plant that lives for only one year. It grows from a main root called a taproot, which is like a carrot.
Usually, this plant stays small in nature. But if it is grown by people, it can become much larger. Its leaves are thin and shaped like a line or a spear. They are only a few millimeters wide.
Flowers and Scent
The plant has special flower heads. These look like small daisies. Each flower head has several yellow petals, called ray florets. These petals can be almost a centimeter long.
The Houston tansyaster also has a unique smell. It smells a bit like camphor, which is a strong, fresh scent. You can usually see its flowers blooming in October and November.
Where Does the Houston Tansyaster Grow?
This plant grows on the Texas coastal prairie. This is a large, grassy area along the coast of Texas. It particularly likes to grow on Mima mounds. These are small, natural bumps or hills in the ground.
You can also find it in open spaces. These include fields and pastures. The plant prefers sandy soils or loamy soils. Loam is a mix of sand, silt, and clay. It often grows in areas that are wet during certain times of the year. It also likes places where water does not drain away quickly.
Plant Neighbors
The Houston tansyaster sometimes grows near other rare plants. These plants are also found only in that local area. Examples include Texas windmill grass and prairie dawn.
Why is This Plant Important to Protect?
The Houston tansyaster is currently classified as imperiled. This means it is in danger of disappearing. There are fewer than 20 groups of these plants left in the wild.
Threats to the Plant
The biggest threats to this plant and its home are human activities. The Houston metropolitan area is growing. This means more land is being used for buildings and roads.
Other dangers include competition from other plants. These can be woody plants like shrubs and trees. Non-native grasses, which are not from this area, also compete for space and resources. Protecting the Houston tansyaster helps keep the natural balance of the Texas coastal prairie.
