CALIFORNIA POPPY 



sight than to sound. ' California Poppy rightly belongs to another 

 plant, Papaver californica, but is pre-empted by this one. 



At home EschschoUzia is perennial, but our Eastern climate 

 transforms it into an annual. The 

 color range includes yellow, orange, 

 rose, carmine, and scarlet, but the 

 glowing orange is after all the most 

 satisfactory. Satelhtes of the sun, 

 the beautiful blossoms will not un- 

 furl their flaming petals save to his 

 direct rays, hence they are early to 

 bed and late to rise. The flowers 

 open for two, sometimes three, con- 

 secutive days. In one particular, 

 EschschoUzia differs from all other 

 genera of the poppy family. Two 

 sepals are the family allowance, and 

 these though enclosing the bud are 

 thrust apart by the opening petals 

 and fall to the ground as soon as the 

 corolla is mature. In our California 

 Poppy, however, the sepals are too closely united to be driven 

 asunder by the petals, and consequently the calyx is simply lifted 

 up and off as if it were an extinguisher or a dunce cap, and the 

 glowing flower smiles open to the sky. 



There are many forms of EschschoUzia and of late the original 

 EschschoUzia californica has been divided into a number. of new 

 species, which are, however, difficult of determination. 



California Poppy. EschschbUzia 

 calijornica 



The following species of Papaveracem have been cultivated, 

 but have now given place to more desirable forms: 



Celandine, Chelidonium mhjus, owes its ancient Greek name 

 to the fact that its flowers appeared with the coming of the swal- 

 lows. 



