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Cardenas, T - Texas bluebonnet

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on March 6, 2008 at 1:40:19 pm
 

Lipinus Subcarnosus Hook

Texas Bluebonnet

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-1/1136491/image002.gif

 

 

 

 

Basic Information

 

Common Name:

 

    Texas Bluebonnet

 

Scientific Name:

 

    Lupinus Subcarnosus Hook

 

Interesting Fact:

 

    Texas State Flower

 

 

The Texas bluebonnet is actually an annual plant but its blooming season begins in the winter and its peak bloom is in late march. It grows practically all over the places but it’s mostly found in two county Leon County and Hidalgo County in the Valley. It grows in loamy sand type soil so its roots don't dig to deep. Also the biome that the area where the bluebonnet is found is called the Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, Scrub lands.

 

 

 

 

Extra facts

 

                Texas actually has 5 different state flower but the Lupinus Hook actually has the title. The reason that they have 5 different flowers is because there where many other choices that would fit more with the background of the state such as the cactus. The bluebonnet does not only come in blue but also in white, red and even pink . also they have been trying to great other colors such as lavender and maroon. When I looked into the fact about the law of picking the flower. I found out that it is not fully true but it is against the law to pick any type pf plant from a state park.

 

 

 

Caught picking Bluebonnet

 

 

Family stops on highway to pick Bluebonnets.


 

 

Where is the Texas Bluebonnet Found? (Texas?)

Habitat

 

            The Texas bluebonnet is a common plant, though despite this fact it is rarely found in any states other than the states of Texas, Louisiana and Florida, making it a very rare, but common plant.  This is very odd because of the fact it seems more logical for it to be found in areas with similar environment like Texas such as places like New Mexico, or even better would be California. But it is found in Louisiana and Florida which typically have more moist humid climates.

 

 The soil where the bluebonnet is found is a soil at field capacity, meaning it would have to be well drained of water but still able to provide the roots with enough nutrients for the plant to survive. This would result in a dry environment but have at least a small amount of rain every now and then per month to allow the roots to thrive.  The bluebonnet’s growth pattern in the state of Texas is very strange, even stranger than it’s growth pattern in either Louisiana or Florida where it is much more rare. It is very strange because it is found practically everywhere during its blooming season, so much so that it could possibly be called the dandelion of Texas.  It could be found in any small pasture or even commonly on the side of the highway, just about anywhere.  

 

This is something that I personally find beautiful about the bluebonnet, and how it just brightens up the Texas grasslands. It also makes the drive through the massive state so much better to enjoy. It also gives the areas that could be called a Texas waste land (not very much plant life in the more deserted areas) a healthier look. This fact could also be why so many people stop on the highway to pick them, or even take photos on the side of the road to show how gorgeous the highway looks littered in blue.

 

Temperate grassland

 

The bluebonnet’s biome would have to be the temperate grassland environment.  This fact is evident that the climate is affected by seasonal changing in the weather, and is made even apparent by the fact that the bluebonnet needs colder temperatures (55-70 deg) than many other plants found in Texas which likes the warm weather of summer. The grassland aspect would have to be that where most of the bluebonnets grow there is little or no tall trees or plants around, making most of the plants scrub and arid plants, plants that are commonly found very close to the ground.

 

Threats and solutions

 

There are not very many issues that are really affecting the growth of the bluebonnet. One aspect, that is having an adverse effect on it would be the increase of the amount of ranching and cattle rearing in the areas where the bluebonnet is commonly found, which has increased within the last 100 years. This increase has limited the amount of land that is available for bluebonnet growth. The main reason why ranching is so affective to the area is because the farmers are growing certain plants and there is no room for the bluebonnet to grow. Also with cattling it spans over a very wide area and the bluebonnet can either be trampled or it can be eaten by the cattle. Another threat is the fluctuating temperature problems that face many places around the world, including Texas which has suffered an increase of temperatures earlier in the year, as well as the extended dry seasons and drought that much of the state experiences throughout different times of the year.  As mentioned earlier, the bluebonnet needs a bit more than a field capacities worth of water in the soil. It also needs a little cooler temperature, commonly around 55 to 70 deg Celsius. These temperatures are more commonly found in the months of March through May. Which are the ideal months for the blooming stage of the flower. The problem with this fact is that for the past few years in Texas the weather has either been really cold or too hot to handle and can inhibit the growth of the bluebonnet. Due to the affects with climate changes happening around the world.

 

There are not many things that can be done to lessen the threats to the bluebonnet. There is also the fact that this is the state’s flower meaning that the Texas government is not going to allow the flower to go extinct.  The affect of the changing weather is something that is long term. But hopefully this can be improved with the cooperation of the human population.  The growth of the Texas bluebonnet is furthered by the fact that the amount of cattling and ranching are sort of going down due to the fact that the world is in the technology age and the way of the cowboy is slowly fading out.

 

Bibliography

 

Is It Really Illegal to Pick the Bluebonnets? [Internet]. : Treat W; c1998 [cited 2008 Feb 17]. Available from http://www.texastwisted.com/reports/bluebonnets/

 

 

Texas Bluebonnet. [Internet]. : United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. [cited 2008 Feb 17]. Available from http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch

 

 

Texas Bluebonnet -- Texas Pride. [Internet]. : George S, Grant G, Parsons, J [cited 2008 Feb 17]. Available from

 

http://aggiehorticulture.lamu.edu/plantanswers/flowers/bluebonnet/bluebonnetstory.html

 

 

 

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