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 
Tree Po J ‘ . ous 
ee eee are sufficiently like to be quite surprising 
rigida when we find them growing on what 
Yellow appears to be a small willow tree! Itisa 
All seasons 
handsome and decorative shrub, both in 
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 areat 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.”’ 
California 
Pretty graceful plants, their creamy 
Cream-cu Set: : 
ee blossoms often whitening the spring 
Califérnicus meadows. The slender hairy stems are 
Cream-color about a foot tall, the leaves and the 
Spring 
nodding 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 
pluins, and valleys. 
Cal., Oreg., Ariz. 
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