Silk-grass goldenaster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Silk-grass goldenaster
Conservation status
Apparently Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Astereae
Genus:	Heterotheca
Species:	H. grandiflora
Binomial name
Heterotheca grandiflora Nutt. 1840
Synonyms
Heterotheca floribunda Benth.

Heterotheca grandiflora, also known as silk-grass goldenaster or telegraphweed, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, just like sunflowers and dandelions. This plant naturally grows in the southwestern United States, including California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. You can also find it in northwestern Mexico, especially in Baja California. Sometimes, it spreads to new places like Hawaii, where it's called an introduced species. Even in its native home, you often see it growing along roadsides.

What is Telegraphweed?

Telegraphweed is a tall plant that can grow over a meter (about 40 inches) high. It has a bristly feel and is covered in tiny glands. Its stems are full of leaves that can be hairy, spiny, or have jagged edges.

How Does It Look?

The leaves are packed closely together near the bottom of the plant. As you go up the stem, the leaves become smaller and are spaced further apart. At the top of the stem, you'll find a cluster of bright yellow flowers. These flowers look a lot like daisies.

Flower Details

Each flower head is actually made of many tiny flowers. These are called disc and ray florets. After the flowers bloom, the petals fall off. What's left is a round cluster of seeds. Each seed is called an achene. These seeds have a long, white, fluffy part called a pappus. This pappus helps the seeds float away in the wind, spreading the plant to new places.

Asteraceae Heterotheca grandiflora Telegraph Weed

Where Does Telegraphweed Grow?

This plant is native to the southwestern parts of the United States. This includes states like California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. It also grows naturally in northwestern Mexico, especially in a region called Baja California.

Spreading to New Places

Sometimes, telegraphweed can be found in other areas where it wasn't originally from. When a plant grows in a new place because people or animals brought it there, it's called an introduced species. For example, telegraphweed has been introduced to Hawaii. Even where it grows naturally, you often see it along the sides of roads. It's quite common to spot it there.

Images for kids

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  Closeup of flower.

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  Closeup of flower gone to seed.

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  Field of Heterotheca grandiflora.