There is a round bush, which I didn't plant, growing in what is usually my "annual" garden. It's about two feet high and the same width. At the end of the stems there are clusters of small, bright yellow flowers, somewhat resembling buttercups. The flowers have no odor, although the leaves smell unpleasant in a way I can't really describe. In some areas narrow seedpods are appearing. The seeds are white, very small, and lined up in a row, like peas in a pod.
It has been blooming for about a month. I think it's pretty, and have been hoping it would stay for a while. To that end, I decided to deadhead the flowers and stems back to the next junction.
When I pinched off the main stems, I found that they're filled with a bright orange substance. It behaves like a line of paint from a tube, thick at the end and growing thinner and more pale as I squeeze the stem. The same substance is in the base of the cluster of seed pods. It is not, however, in the small stems which join the flowers to each other (I have a feeling stem is not the right word for those, and would appreciate a correction), or in the flowers themselves, even if I open a bud. It's odorless, spreads easily to any skin it touches, and, although not sticky, requires soap, water, and a bit of effort to remove.
I have a few questions:
What is this plant?
What is the orange substance called?
If I deadhead it, can I extend its blooming period?
If I open the seedpods and scatter the seeds around some other areas, might they produce more bushes next year? I'm too lazy to gather the seeds and do what's necessary to overwinter them, so that's not an option. I thought about propagating from a cutting, but it doesn't seem woody enough to do that. I understand birds, other backyard visitors, and wind, might carry the seeds away. I just wonder if, in general, doing that might increase my chances of having more.
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