Short woollyheads facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Short woollyheads |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Psilocarphus
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P. brevissimus
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| Psilocarphus brevissimus Nutt.
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Psilocarphus brevissimus is a small flowering plant. People often call it short woollyheads, woolly marbles, or woolly heads. It belongs to the aster family, which includes plants like sunflowers.
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Where Does Short Woollyheads Grow?
This plant naturally grows in western North America. You can find it from southwestern Canada, through California, and into northwestern Mexico. It also lives in southern South America.
It likes to grow in wet, flat areas. These include places like vernal pools, which are temporary ponds, and other wetlands. It can grow from sea level up to about 2,500 meters (8,202 feet) high.
What Does Short Woollyheads Look Like?
Psilocarphus brevissimus is a small plant that grows for only one year. It is called an annual herb. It usually grows just a few centimeters tall. It can have one main stem or many stems that branch out.
Its small leaves are a gray-green color. They stand up straight, pointing parallel to the stem. Sometimes, they lie flat against the stem.
Its Unique Flowers
The plant's flowers grow in a small, round cluster called a flower head. This head looks like a single flower but is actually many tiny flowers grouped together. These tiny flowers are called disc flowers.
The flower head is surrounded by leaf-like parts called bracts. Each tiny flower is covered in a scale. This scale is very woolly with long, white fibers. This makes the whole developing flower head look like it's covered in cotton.
Different Types of Short Woollyheads
There are two main types, or varieties, of Psilocarphus brevissimus:
- Psilocarphus brevissimus var. brevissimus — This type was once known as Psilocarphus globiferus.
- Psilocarphus brevissimus var. multiflorus (Delta woolly marbles) — This type is found mostly in the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta area of California. It also grows in nearby parts of the Central Valley. This variety is not very common and often grows near vernal pools.
