Small-flowered carpetweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small-flowered carpetweed |
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| in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Kallstroemia
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| Species: |
parviflora
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Kallstroemia parviflora, also known as small-flowered carpetweed or warty caltrop, is a type of plant found in North and Central America. It grows across a wide area, from Illinois in the United States all the way south to Central America, and from Arizona in the west to Illinois in the east.
This plant is an annual, meaning it completes its entire life cycle in just one year. It has small flowers that are usually orange or yellow.
What it Looks Like
Kallstroemia parviflora is part of the Zygophyllaceae family, also known as the creosote-bush family. Its flowers have a special shape called zygomorphic, which means they are symmetrical only along one line, like a human face.
The leaves of this plant are compound, meaning each leaf is made up of several smaller leaflets. Typically, each leaf has four pairs of these small leaflets and measures about 3 to 6 centimeters long. The stem of the plant is covered in fine hairs, which is called pubescent, and it can grow to be about 30 to 60 centimeters tall.
The flowers themselves are quite small, only about 1 centimeter across. After the flower blooms, it produces a small, egg-shaped fruit that is about 4 millimeters long.
Where it Grows
This plant prefers dry soils. You can often find Kallstroemia parviflora growing in places like along roadsides or near railroad tracks, where the soil tends to be dry and open.
