Serpentine ragwort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Serpentine ragwort |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Packera
|
| Species: |
serpenticola
|
Packera serpenticola, also known as serpentine ragwort, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the composite family, which includes many familiar flowers like daisies and sunflowers. This plant is quite special because it is very rare.
It grows only in one specific place in the southeastern United States. This unique spot is called the Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens, found in Clay County, North Carolina.
Contents
What is Serpentine Ragwort?
The serpentine ragwort is a plant that produces bright yellow flowers. These flowers typically appear in the early spring, bringing a splash of color to its rare habitat.
Where Does It Live?
This plant is native to a very particular area in North Carolina. It lives only in the Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens. This area is not like a typical forest. Instead, it has open grasslands and savannas.
The Special Serpentine Soil
The reason this area is so unique is because of its soil. The soil here is called serpentine soil. It comes from special rocks like olivine and dunite. This type of soil makes it hard for large trees to grow. Because of this, the area naturally becomes a "barrens" or a savanna, which is like a grassland.
This special grassland is home to many rare plants. For example, another very rare plant, the Buck Creek aster (Symphyotrichum rhiannon), also lives only in this one spot.
A New Discovery
For a long time, scientists were a bit confused about this plant. They knew it was a type of Packera, but they weren't sure exactly what it was. In 2014, after careful study, it was finally described as a brand new species. Scientists found that it is most closely related to another plant called Packera aurea, but it is different enough in its genes to be its own unique species.
