ESCHSCHOLZIA
Eschscholtzia Cham. in Nees, Horae Phys. Berol. 73, t. 15. 1820; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 1:54. 1862; Fedde in Engler & Prantl, Natur. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 17b: 81. 1936; Bailey, Cyclop. Hort. 1: 1145. 1967; Jepson, Man. Fl. Pl. California 402. 1951; Mowat in Tutin et al in Fl. Europ. 1:251. 1964; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p.25.
Annual or perennial glaucous herbs with watery juice. Leaves alternate, petiolate, large, much dissected. Inflorescences solitary, terminal or axillary on long axis. Flowers large and showy, yellow or whitish, long peduncled, bisexual, actinomorphic, perigynous, large, showy, yellowish or whitish. Sepals 2, completely united forming a hood or calyptra-like cap which is pushed off over the bud as the petals expand. Petals 4, free. Stamens many, inserted at the base of the petals; filaments often shorter than the anthers. Receptacle conspicuously hollowed and surrounding the base of pistil, giving calyx and corolla somewhat perigynous appearence. Ovary superior, linear, unilocular, ovules many on parietal placentas; style short; stigmas 4-6, unequal, filiform. Capsule slender, 1-locular, dehiscing by 2 valves from the base to apex. Seeds numerous, globose.
15 species
Eschscholtzia californica
Eschscholtzia californica Cham. in Nees, Horae Phys. Berol. 74, t. 15. 1820; Bailey, Cyclop. Hort. 1: 1145. 1967; Jepson, Man. Fl. Pl. California 402. 1951 Mowat in Tutin et al in Fl. Europ. 1:251. 1964; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p.26.
Erect to diffuse perennial herb, up to 50 cm tall. Stem scapose or leafy, quadrangular, glabrous. Leaves basal and cauline, 10-30 cm long, decompound; ultimate segments linear or oblong, ca. 1 mm broad; petiole 5-20 cm long; cauline leaves alternate, smaller on shorter petiole. Inflorescence solitary axillary or terminal; peduncle 6-20 cm long. Flower buds ovate, 2-3 cm long, 1 cm broad. Flowers ca. 8 cm across, bisexual, actinomorphic, orange colored, showy. Receptacle conspicuously hollowed and surrounding the base of pistil, giving calyx and corolla somewhat perigynous appearance; receptacle expanded above into 2-rimmed structure: outer rim spreading, 3-4 mm broad while inner rim relatively short and slightly erect. Sepals 2, completely united forming ca. 2 cm long calyptra-like cap which is pushed off over the bud as the petals expand. Petals 4, free, ca. 4.5 cm x 5 cm, broadly obovate, shortly clawed, orange. Stamens many, inserted at the base of the petals, yellow, 13-16 mm long; anthers 10-11 mm x ca. 1 mm, linear-oblong, bithecous, basifixed; filaments short, ca. 3 mm long. Ovary superior, linear, ca. 4 mm long, unilocular, ovules numerous on parietal placentas; style short and thickened; stigmas 4, filiform. Capsule 7-10 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, longitudinally ribbed, glabrous, straight; seeds globose, black, c. 2 mm in diameter.
Common Names: Californian Poppy
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