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Whitedaisy tidytips facts for kids

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Whitedaisy tidytips
Layia glandulosa 7762.JPG
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
(unranked):
(unranked):
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Layia
Species:
L. glandulosa
Binomial name
Layia glandulosa
(Hook.) Hook. & Arn.
Layia glandulosa white layia flower bud
Full-face view of a white tidytips flower and its bud
Layia glandulosa flowers seedhead
White tidytips flowers with a developing seedhead

Layia glandulosa is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family. People often call it whitedaisy tidytips or white layia.

This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from central Washington (state) down to Baja California. It also grows east into Utah and Arizona. It is quite common in many different natural areas.

About the White Tidytips Plant

This plant is an annual herb. This means it lives for only one growing season. It grows a straight stem that can reach over half a meter tall.

The stem and leaves have tiny, dark, sticky hairs. These hairs make the plant sometimes smell nice. The leaves are thin and can be long and narrow or oval-shaped. The lower leaves often have deep cuts or lobes. They can grow up to about 10 centimeters long.

The Flowers of White Tidytips

The plant has a special kind of flower head. It looks like one big flower but is actually many tiny flowers grouped together. The base of this flower head has green, hairy, and sticky leaf-like parts called phyllaries.

The outer part of the flower head has 3 to 14 broad petals. These are called ray florets. Usually, there are 5 of them. They are mostly white, but sometimes they can be yellow. Each ray floret has three small lobes at its tip.

In the center of the flower head are many small yellow flowers. These are called disc florets. They have yellow parts called anthers that hold pollen.

After the flower blooms, it produces a hairy achene. This is a type of dry fruit that holds the seed. The fruits from the disc florets have a fluffy top. This top is made of stiff white hairs and is called a pappus. It helps the seeds float away in the wind.

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