Flora of New Zealand Series

Californian poppy

Annual or perennial herb. Habit various, from a tufted rosette to an erect many-stemmed herb with the rosette stage almost completely suppressed. Stems ribbed, erect, glabrous, 10-30-(40) cm tall. Lvs much dissected; petiole > lamina; lamina to 10 × 10 cm in rosette lvs, usually much smaller in stem lvs. Pedicels ribbed, 5-10 cm long. Calyx hood apiculate. Petals obovate, yellow to orange, or yellow with orange base, rarely white, cream or red, (1)-2-3.5 cm long. Anthers > filaments. Capsule ribbed, straight or slightly curved, 25-90 × 3-4 mm.

N.; S.: throughout.

W. U.S.A. 1878

Commonest in dry stony sites of Hawke's Bay, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago, especially on roadsides and dry riverbeds.

FL (Sep)-Oct-Feb-(May) FT (Oct)-Dec-May.

The calyptrate calyx and long stigmas distinguish E. californica from other poppies in N.Z. Californian poppy covers large areas of some riverbeds and shingly hillsides in E. South Id, providing brilliant displays when flowering (Plate 5, 14).