POPPY FAMILY. Papaveraceae. 



There are several kinds of Dendromecon, smooth shrubs, 

 with alternate, toothless, leathery leaves and yellow flowers, 

 with two sepals and four petals; stamens numerous, with 

 short filaments; ovary with a short style and two, oblong 

 stigmas. The name is from the Greek for "tree" and 

 "poppy." 



This is not a true Poppy, but the flowers 



are sufficiently like to be quite surprising 

 rigida when we find them growing on what 



Yellow appears to be a small willow tree! It is a 



All seasons handsome and decorative shrub, both in 



California . j. u^j. 



form and color, two to eight feet high, 



with pale woody stems, the main stem with shreddy bark, 

 and light bluish-green foliage, the leaves something like 

 those of willow, but quite stiff and leathery, with a little 

 pointed tip, the short leaf-stalks twisted so as to bring the 

 leaf into a vertical position. Sprinkled all over the bush 

 are numbers of beautiful, clear golden-yellow flowers, 

 one to three inches across, with orange-colored anthers 

 and a pale-yellow pistil. This grows on dry, sunny hill- 

 sides, at middle altitudes, and is common in southern 

 California, but is particularly fine near Santa Barbara. 

 The flowers have a slight smell like cucumber and may be 

 found in bloom at all seasons of the year. The ribbed 

 seed-pod is long and narrow. 



There is only one kind of Platystemon, with stem leaves 

 opposite or in whorls; sepals three, soon falling; petals six; 

 stamens many, with broad, flat filaments. The numerous 

 pistils are at first partly united, forming a compound ovary; 

 when ripe they separate into knotted pods, which break 

 apart between the seeds. The name means "broad 

 stamens." 



Pretty graceful plants, their creamy 

 Platystemon blossoms often whitening the spring 



Caiijdrnicus meadows. The slender hairy stems are 



Cream-color about a foot tall, the leaves and the 



Cal^Or A * n dding buds light-green and hairy, and 

 the pretty flowers, about an inch across, 

 are delicate cream-color, the petals often stained with 

 bright-yellow, either at the tip or base, or both, with 

 pretty creamy centers. This is common in the foothills 

 plains, and valleys. 



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