Blennosperma nanum
Encyclopedia
The annual herb Blennosperma nanum has the common names glue-seed and common stickyseed. It is a small yellow flower closely related to the daisy
. The petals are a paler yellow than many other daisy-like flowers, and the ring of stamens ooze a viscous white juice containing the pollen. The seeds are also carried in a gluey fluid. The Greek
name for the genus means "slimy seed."
The flower is distributed throughout the lower elevations in California
, but is not particularly abundant. It is a resident of vernal pool
floral communities. Glue-seed is often one of the first flowers to bloom as winter turns to spring.
There are two subspecies of the plant:
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
. The petals are a paler yellow than many other daisy-like flowers, and the ring of stamens ooze a viscous white juice containing the pollen. The seeds are also carried in a gluey fluid. The Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
name for the genus means "slimy seed."
The flower is distributed throughout the lower elevations in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but is not particularly abundant. It is a resident of vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
floral communities. Glue-seed is often one of the first flowers to bloom as winter turns to spring.
There are two subspecies of the plant:
- Blennosperma nanum var. robustum: the Point ReyesPoint ReyesPoint Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California. It is located in Marin County approximately WNW of San Francisco. The term is often applied to the Point Reyes Peninsula, the region bounded by Tomales Bay on the northeast and Bolinas Lagoon on the southeast...
subspecies of the plant, sometimes called Point Reyes blennosperma, is very rare and is only found in that isolated area.
- Blennosperma nanum var. nanum is much more common, and is sometimes called common blennosperma, yellow carpet, or meadow daisy.