Serpentine collomia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Serpentine collomia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Collomia
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| Species: |
diversifolia
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Collomia diversifolia is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the phlox family. Many people know it as the serpentine collomia. This plant is special because it only grows in California. It is not very common. You can find it in the North Coast Ranges. This area stretches from the northern San Francisco Bay Area up to Shasta County.
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What is Serpentine Collomia?
The serpentine collomia is a small plant. It grows for only one year. This means it sprouts, grows, flowers, and makes seeds all in a single year. It has many branches. Its leaves are dark and slightly hairy. They are shaped like a spear. The leaves closest to the ground sometimes have three small teeth.
What Does Serpentine Collomia Look Like?
The flowers of the serpentine collomia grow in a cluster. Each flower is about one centimeter wide. They are shaped like a star. The flower has pointed violet parts called lobes. These lobes have yellowish parts at their base. They all meet in the middle, which is a purple color.
Where Does This Plant Live?
This plant is endemic to California. This means it naturally grows only in California and nowhere else in the world. It likes to grow in a special type of soil. This soil is called serpentine soil. Serpentine soil is found in certain parts of California. The plant is an uncommon part of the plants that grow in these areas.
Why is it Called Serpentine Collomia?
The plant gets its common name, "serpentine collomia," from the type of soil it prefers. Serpentine soil is unique. It has high levels of certain minerals. Not many plants can grow well in it. The serpentine collomia is one of the special plants that can thrive in this kind of soil.
How Does it Grow?
As an annual herb, the serpentine collomia completes its entire life cycle in one growing season. It starts from a seed. Then it grows into a plant. It produces flowers and seeds. After making seeds, the plant dies. The seeds then wait to sprout in the next growing season. This cycle helps the plant survive year after year.
