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Shinnersia facts for kids

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Shinnersia
Shinnersia rivularis.jpg
Shinnersia rivularis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
(unranked):
(unranked):
Order:
Family:
Tribe:
Eupatorieae
Genus:
Shinnersia

R.M.King & H.Rob.
Binomial name
Shinnersia rivularis
(A.Gray) R.M.King & H.Rob.
Synonyms

Trichocoronis rivularis A.Gray

Shinnersia is a special kind of aquatic plant. This means it grows in water. You can find it naturally in places like Texas in the United States and in Mexico. It belongs to a large plant family called Asteraceae. This family includes many well-known flowers, such as daisies and sunflowers.

About Shinnersia

Where It Lives

Shinnersia plants like to live in shallow water that moves slowly. For example, you might find them along the edges of a stream. Their roots stay in the soft mud at the bottom of the water. The plant's stem then grows up a little bit above the water's surface. It usually sticks out less than 10 centimeters (about 4 inches).

How It Got Its Name

The name Shinnersia was chosen to honor a person named Lloyd H. Shinners. He was a botanist, which is a scientist who studies plants. Lloyd Shinners worked at Southern Methodist University.

A Popular Aquarium Plant

Shinnersia is a very common plant used in freshwater aquariums. People like to put it in their fish tanks because it looks nice and helps the water. Sometimes, these plants escape from aquariums and start growing in the wild.

The Only Known Species

There is only one type of plant known in the Shinnersia group. Its scientific name is Shinnersia rivularis. It also has a few common names, like the Rio Grande bugheal or the Mexican oak leaf plant. This plant grows naturally in Texas, as well as in the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo León. Scientists think it is related to two other water plant groups, Sclerolepis and Trichocoronis.

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