Rydberg's arnica facts for kids

Arnica rydbergii is a type of arnica plant found in North America. People often call it Rydberg's arnica, subalpine arnica, or subalpine leopardbane. It belongs to the sunflower family, which is a very large group of flowering plants.

This plant naturally grows in western Canada (in Alberta and British Columbia) and the western United States. You can find it in places like Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota.

What is Rydberg's Arnica Like?

Rydberg's arnica is a small plant, usually growing up to about 35 centimeters (or 14 inches) tall. It's an herb, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree.

Its Flowers

The flowers of Rydberg's arnica are bright yellow. They grow in what look like single large flowers, but are actually groups of many tiny flowers called flower heads. These flower heads have two main kinds of tiny flowers:

• Ray florets: These are the petal-like parts that stick out from the center, making the flower look like a daisy or sunflower.
• Disc florets: These are the small, tightly packed flowers in the very center of the flower head.

Where Does Rydberg's Arnica Grow?

This plant loves to live in high places, especially in mountains. You can find it in:

• Alpine meadows: These are open, grassy areas high up in mountains, above the tree line. The weather here can be cold and windy.
• Rocky slopes: It also grows on hillsides that are steep and covered in rocks.

Because it grows in these high, often cold places, it's sometimes called "subalpine arnica." "Subalpine" means just below the alpine zone, where trees start to become scarce.

Who Was Rydberg?

The plant Arnica rydbergii is named after a famous botanist named Per Axel Rydberg. He was a Swedish-American scientist who studied plants. He lived from 1860 to 1931 and discovered and named many different plant species. Naming a plant after someone is a way to honor their contributions to science.