Silver bush-thistle
The plant is a rare and endangered plant, discovered by a Danish botanist.
Arnaldoa argentea belongs to the daisy family, as do the dandelion, the daisy, and our native thistle.
Species belonging to the daisy family have many small flowers gathered together in a large head, which together appears as a single flower. If you look closely at the composite head of the silver bush-thistle, you can distinguish the individual flowers.
Silver bush-thistle was discovered by a Danish botanist in 2002. It is considered endangered in nature because it is only found in a very restricted area in southern Ecuador where the forest is strongly affected by deforestation and subsequent burning.
The plant in the greenhouse has a special status: it is grown from a seed collected form the first plant found, the plant which is the base of the scientific description of the species.
Facts:
- Greenhouse location: The Mountain Forest House
- Danish name: Sølv-busktidsel
- Latin name: Arnaldoa argentea
- Family: Daisy family / Asteraceae
- Natural habitat: Andean mountains in southern Ecuador