Poppy Family 159 



1. PLATYSTEMON Benth. CREAM CUP. 



Low villous annuals with entire mainly opposite 

 leaves and cream-colored flowers. Sepals 3. Petals 6. 

 Stamens many with flattened filaments and linear an- 

 thers. Carpels 6-25, at first united ; stigmas linear free. 

 Fruit of as many distinct linear indehiscent torulose 

 pods, 3-8-seeded, at length breaking transversly between 

 the seeds. 



1. P. Californicum Benth. Slender, branching from the base, 

 more or less decumbent, 15-30 cm. high, pilose; leaves 5-8 cm. 

 long, sessile or clasping, broadly linear; peduncles erect, 8-20 

 cm. long; sepals villous; petals 6-12 mm. long, cream-yellow, 

 sometimes shading to yellow toward the base; carpels 6-25, 

 forming an oblong head, 10-20 mm. long, beaked by the persist- 

 ent stigmas. 



Common in sandy soil throughout our range ; below 3000 feet altitude. 

 March-May. 



2. PLATYSTIGMA Benth. 



Low slender annuals with leaves, sepals and petals as 

 in Platystemon. Stamens 6-12 ; filaments filiform or 

 nearly so. Ovary 1-celled with 3 parietal placentae, 

 somewhat 3-lobed or nearly terete ; stigmas ovate to 

 subulate. Capsule 3-valved, dehiscent through the 

 placentae. 



1. P. denticulata Greene. Glabrous, branching, 8-25 cm. 

 high; lower leaves spatulate or the small blade rhombic-ovate 

 and narrowed into a broad petiole, 1-3 cm. long; upper spatulate 

 or linear-oblong, entire or denticulate; petals narrow, oblong, 

 2-4 mm. long; stamens 6-9; anthers linear, equaling or exceed- 

 ing the filaments. 



Occasional in shady places in the foothills. March-May. 



3. ROMNEYA Harv. MATILIJA POPPY. 



Smooth stout erect perennial herbs, with colorless 

 juice, pinnately divided alternate leaves and very large 



