Santa Lucia mint facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santa Lucia mint |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pogogyne
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| Species: |
clareana
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Pogogyne clareana, also known as Santa Lucia mint, is a very special and rare flowering plant. It's part of the mint family, just like the mint you might use for tea! This plant is found only in one small area near Monterey, California. It grows mainly within Fort Hunter Liggett, which is a training place for the US Army.
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About the Santa Lucia Mint
This amazing plant is a type of endemic species. This means it naturally grows only in one specific place in the world. For the Santa Lucia mint, that place is a small part of California.
Where It Lives
The Santa Lucia mint lives in a special kind of habitat. This includes areas of chaparral, which are like natural shrublands. It also grows in oak woodlands, where oak trees are common. You can sometimes find it near vernal pools. These are temporary pools of water that appear in spring and dry up in summer. It also likes summer-dry creek beds.
What It Looks Like
The Santa Lucia mint is a small plant. It's an annual herb, which means it lives for only one growing season. Its slender stems grow about 15 to 25 centimeters tall. That's about the length of a ruler!
At the top of the stems, you'll see small but pretty flowers. These flowers are shaped like funnels and are usually pinkish-purple. They have white throats with purple spots. The flowers are surrounded by hairy sepals. If you get close, you'll notice they have a strong minty smell!
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Santa Lucia mint plants flower for only about two weeks. This usually happens in June. After flowering, each plant produces just one seed. This single seed is how the plant makes new plants for the next year.
Protecting This Plant
The Santa Lucia mint is a very rare plant. It only grows in a small area. Because of this, it faces several challenges that threaten its survival.
Some threats include erosion, which is when soil washes away. Vehicles and military activities at Fort Hunter Liggett can also disturb the plants. Dust from dirt roads can also affect them. Scientists and conservationists are working to protect this special mint. They want to make sure it can continue to grow in its unique home.
