Eschscholzia californica

Eschscholzia species are erect annual or perennial herbs, with watery sap. Stem glabrous, dichotomously branched. Leaves alternate, radical and cauline, ternately dissected with narrow segments, pinnatifid, tripinnatipartite, petiolate. Flowers bisexual, solitary, terminal or axillary, large, showy, golden yellow to bright orange sometimes whitish, Torus turbinate with a broad recurved border surrounding base of pistil, inner side, showing calyx, corolla showing perigynous type, long pedicellate, Sepals 2, oblong, deciduous, connate, petals 4, free, broadly obovate, apex wide, brightly colored. Stamens many, at the base of petals, anthers linear lanceolate, basifixed, dithecous, filaments shorter than anthers. Ovary linear or elongate, unilocular, ribbed, ovules many, style slender short, stigmas 4-6, unequal, filiform. Fruits capsules, linear, base narrow, dehiscing by 2 valves in from base to the apex, ribbed. Seeds numerous, spherical, tessellate, reticulate.

Eschscholzia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: February-June/May-August.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., dispersal by wind., zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Erect annual or perennial herbs, with watery sap, about 25-50 cm tall. Stem glabrous or subglabrous, dichotomously branched. Basal radical leaves alternate, linear, ternately dissected with narrow segments, tripinnatipartite, ablout 10-30 x 1-3 mm across, petiole longer in lower leaves, slender, about 5-20 cm long. Flowers bisexual, solitary, terminal, large, showy, golden yellow to bright orange sometimes whitish, about 4-8 cm across, Torus turbinate with a broad recurved border surrounding base of pistil, inner side, showing calyx, corolla showing perigynous type, pedicel about 6-20 cm long, flower buds ovate. Sepals 2, oblong, deciduous, connate, unite to from cayptra, caducous, conical 2 cm long, outer series spreading 3-4 mm broad with parallel striations, inner series erect, short, petals 4, free, broadly obovate, apex wide, shortly clawed, brightly colored, about 5-6 x 1-4 cm across. Stamens many, at the base of petals, anthers linear lanceolate, basifixed, dithecous, about 4-6 mm long, filaments shorter than anthers, about 3-5 mm long. Ovary linear or elongate, unilocular, ribbed, about 8-10 mm long, style slender short, stigmas 4, linear-subulate, unequal, filiform, about 3-4 mm long. Fruits capsules, linear, base narrow, dehiscing by 2 valves in from base to the apex, ribbed, about 7-10 x 3-4 mm across, Seeds numerous, spherical, tessellate, reticulate, black, about 2 mm in diameter.

Eschscholzia species are susceptible to insect pests, moulds and rusts.

Notes: Western Ghats & Eastern Ghats, Cultivated, Native of North America

Cultivated in gardens of Northwestern Himalayas.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated as ornamental in gardens.