Incienso

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/incienso

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Encelia farinosa
2. What is the primary allelochemicals?Sesquiterpene lactones, such as eupatorin and helenalin
3. What is Incienso and where does it grow?Incienso, also called Encelia farinosa or Brittlebush, is a tough desert shrub that lives in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, like California, Arizona, and Baja California.
4. Why does Incienso have silvery hairs on its leaves?The silvery hairs reflect sunlight to keep the leaves cool and help the plant use less water in the hot, dry desert.

Allelopathy: The biochemical interaction between plants, where one plant produces chemicals that influence the growth, survival, and reproduction of others.
Trichomes: Epidermal outgrowths of plants, often hair-like, that can serve functions like defense, light reflection, or water conservation.
Phytotoxins: Chemical substances produced by plants that are toxic to other organisms, particularly other plants.