Western hawksbeard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western hawksbeard |
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Crepis occidentalis is a type of flowering plant found in North America. It belongs to the daisy family. People often call it western hawksbeard or largeflower hawksbeard. This plant grows naturally in western Canada (like British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan) and the western United States. You can find it from the Pacific Coast all the way to the western Great Plains.
About Western Hawksbeard
Western hawksbeard can grow in many different places. It is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. This plant grows a stem that is usually grayish and covered in soft, woolly hairs. The stem can reach about 40 centimeters (16 inches) tall.
The plant grows from a deep taproot, which is like a main root that goes straight down into the soil. Its leaves are also woolly and have jagged edges. The longest leaves, up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) long, grow at the bottom of the plant.
Flowers and Seeds
The plant produces several groups of flower heads. These flower heads have yellow ray florets, which look like petals. They do not have disc florets, which are the small flowers in the center of some daisies. The flower heads are surrounded by hairy, sometimes sticky, phyllaries.
After the flowers bloom, the plant makes a type of fruit called an achene. This fruit is ribbed, meaning it has ridges. Each achene has a frilly pappus at its top. This pappus helps the seeds float away in the wind, like a tiny parachute.
Different Types of Western Hawksbeard
Scientists have found different types of Crepis occidentalis, which they call subspecies. These are slightly different versions of the plant that grow in specific areas. Here are some of them:
- Crepis occidentalis subsp. conjuncta: Found in California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.
- Crepis occidentalis subsp. costata: Grows in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
- Crepis occidentalis subsp. occidentalis: Found in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
- Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila: Located in British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
