Desert Sunflower

geraea canescens

The Desert Sunflower (Geraea canescens), also known as desert gold, is an annual wildflower native to the extremely arid environments of southwestern North America. In years with high winter rainfall, this resilient plant undergoes spectacular mass bloomings, transforming barren, gravelly desert soils into vibrant, endless fields of bright yellow. Belonging to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, it serves as a critical ephemeral resource in desert ecosystems, providing nectar for native bees and abundant seeds for desert-dwelling birds and rodents.

生息地: Found in sandy desert soils, gravelly flats, and desert washes throughout the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.

外見

This annual herb grows up to 100 cm in height, with slender, branching stems densely covered in stiff, white hairs. The bright yellow flower heads are 3 to 5 cm in diameter, featuring a central disc of yellow disc florets surrounded by 10 to 21 distinct, notched ray petals. Its gray-green leaves are lance-shaped, rough-textured, and deeply veined, clustered mostly near the lower portion of the hairy stems.

界Plantae門Tracheophyta綱Magnoliopsida目Asterales科Asteraceae属Geraea

Desert Sunflower

カテゴリ

植物

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

During highly anticipated desert 'superblooms', Desert Sunflowers can cover entire valley floors in gold, creating patterns visible from space.

The desert Cahuilla people traditionally collected the plant's oil-rich seeds, grinding them into a fine meal or paste for consumption.

The genus name 'Geraea' comes from the Greek word 'geraios', meaning 'old man', which refers to the white, hoary hairs on the plant's seeds and stems.

特殊能力

Densely covered in white, hoary hairs that trap moisture, reduce wind-flow over stomata, and reflect harsh sunlight to prevent transpiration.

Germinates quickly after rare winter rains, rapid-blooming and seeding before the extreme, lethal summer heat begins.

Young flower buds track the path of the sun across the sky to maximize solar absorption and accelerate growth.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 10-100 cm
体重: 0.05-0.5 kg
寿命: 1 年

食性と食事

As a photosynthetic plant, it synthesizes its own energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide while extracting inorganic nutrients from dry, sandy soils.

主な食物

Sunlight
Water
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Phosphorus

採餌方法

Photosynthesis

生態系とのつながり

eaten by

Desert Kangaroo Rat

Dipodomys deserti

Feeds on the oily seeds, caching them in burrows as a primary food source.

eaten by

Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizii

Consumes the blossoms and nutrient-dense leaves as a valuable water source in spring.

mutualism

Sunflower Chimney Bee

Diadasia enavata

Visits the vibrant flower heads to gather nectar, acting as a key pollinator.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Desert Sunflowerを見分けるには？

Desert Sunflowerを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Desert Sunflowerの長さは何ですか？

10-100 cm

Desert Sunflowerの体重は何ですか？

0.05-0.5 kg

Desert Sunflowerの寿命は何ですか？

1 年

Desert Sunflowerは何を食べますか？

As a photosynthetic plant, it synthesizes its own energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide while extracting inorganic nutrients from dry, sandy soils.

Desert Sunflowerは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found in sandy desert soils, gravelly flats, and desert washes throughout the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.

Desert Sunflowerはどのように狩りをしますか？

Photosynthesis