Romneya coulteri
Encyclopedia
Romneya coulteri is species of flowering plant in the poppy family
. This poppy is native to southern California
and Baja California
, where it grows in dry canyons in chaparral
and coastal sage scrub
plant communities, sometimes in areas recently burned
. It is a popular ornamental plant
, kept for its large, showy flowers.
This is a shrub
which may exceed two meters in height, its woody stem growing from a network of rhizome
s. The gray-green, waxy-textured leaves are each divided into a few lance-shaped lobes, the blades growing up to 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is a large, solitary flower with six crinkly white petals each up to 10 centimeters long. At the center of the flower is a cluster of many yellow stamen
s. The fruit is a bristly capsule 3 or 4 centimeters long containing many tiny seeds.
This plant bears the largest flowers of any species native to California
, rivaled only by Hibiscus lasiocarpos
. It was nominated for the honor of California state flower in 1890, but the California poppy
won the title in a landslide.
Papaveraceae
Papaveraceae, informally known as the poppy family, are an economically important family of 44 genera and approximately 770 species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates, but almost unknown in the tropics...
. This poppy is native to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in dry canyons in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
plant communities, sometimes in areas recently burned
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
. It is a popular ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, kept for its large, showy flowers.
This is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which may exceed two meters in height, its woody stem growing from a network of rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s. The gray-green, waxy-textured leaves are each divided into a few lance-shaped lobes, the blades growing up to 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a large, solitary flower with six crinkly white petals each up to 10 centimeters long. At the center of the flower is a cluster of many yellow stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s. The fruit is a bristly capsule 3 or 4 centimeters long containing many tiny seeds.
This plant bears the largest flowers of any species native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, rivaled only by Hibiscus lasiocarpos
Hibiscus lasiocarpos
Hibiscus lasiocarpos is a species of hibiscus known by the common name hairy-fruited hibiscus. It is also one of several hibiscus called rosemallow. It is native to much of the southeastern United States, as well as parts of California and northern Mexico. It is a large, bushy perennial herb with...
. It was nominated for the honor of California state flower in 1890, but the California poppy
California poppy
The California poppy is a perennial and annual plant, native to the United States, and the official state flower of California.- Description :...
won the title in a landslide.