Tonestus facts for kids

Tonestus, often called serpentweed, is a group of flowering plants. These plants grow in North America. They are part of the large aster family. This family also includes many well-known flowers like daisies and sunflowers.

About Serpentweed Plants

The name Tonestus is a clever word puzzle! It's an anagram of another plant name, Stenotus. An anagram means the letters are rearranged to form a new word. Another plant group, Nestotus, is also an anagram of the same name.

Where Do They Grow?

There are a few main types of Tonestus plants. Each kind grows in specific areas of North America:

• Tonestus eximius is found in CA and NV.
• Tonestus graniticus grows in NV.
• Tonestus lyallii has a wider range. You can find it in Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. In the United States, it grows in WA, OR, ID, MT, CO, WY, NV, and CA.
• Tonestus pygmaeus lives in MT, WY, CO, and NM.

Changing Plant Families

Sometimes, scientists learn more about plants. They might decide that some plants belong in a different group. This has happened with some plants that were once called Tonestus. They are now placed in other genera (groups) like Herrickia, Lorandersonia, or Toiyabea.

Here are some examples of plants that moved:

• Tonestus alpinus is now called Toiyabea alpina.
• Tonestus kingii is now known as Herrickia kingii.
• Tonestus microcephalus is now Lorandersonia microcephala.
• Tonestus peirsonii is now Lorandersonia peirsonii.

See also

In Spanish: Tonestus para niños