Golden Poppy
Eschscholtzia californica)
The Golden Poppy, Eschscholtzia californica, became the state flower in 1903. Every year April 6
is California Poppy
Day, and Governor
Wilson proclaimed
May 13-18, 1996,
Poppy Week.
California
Indians cherished
the poppy as both a
source of food and
for oil extracted
from the plant. Its
botanical name,
Eschsholtzia
californica, was
given by Adelbert
Von Chamisso, a
naturalist and
member of the
Prussian Academy of
Sciences, who
dropped anchor in
San Francisco in
1816 in a bay
surrounded by hills
of the golden
flowers. Also
sometimes known as
the flame flower, la
amapola, and copa de
oro (cup of gold),
the poppy grows wild
throughout
California.
Exerpt
from:
California's
Esteemed Golden
Poppy
by
Naomi
Mathews
(Lanao2@aol.com)
More than a
hundred years ago on
December 12, 1890,
the California State
Floral Society cast
their votes to
designate an
official flower for
California. The
three flowers to be
voted upon included
the California poppy
(Eschscholzia
californica), the
Mariposa lily (Calochortus),
and the Matilija
poppy (Romneya
coulteri).
Only three persons
voted for the
Mariposa Lily,
whereas no votes
were cast for the
Matilija Poppy
(often called the
giant poppy).
Consequently, the
California Poppy won
the esteemed title
of "Official
California State
Flower" by an
overwhelming
landslide. Research
shows that the
California Poppy had
been first depicted
more than 70 years
earlier, and that it
had a horticultural
history of
approximately 64
years. It seems very
fitting to me that
this state's
official flower is
golden in color. For
who doesn't
associate "gold"
with California? And
who doesn't recall
the many tales that
have been told--some
true, others perhaps
fable--about the
great California
Gold Rush! Then
there is
California's renown
nickname of "The
Golden State" --
making one think of
sunshine and golden
sandy beaches!
- Plant:
Fern-like leaves
with single
flowers on a
long stalk
- Flowers:
Feb-Sep, 1-2"
(2.5-5cm)
across, with
four wide
fan-shaped
petals, many
stamens
- Leaves:
3/4-4" (3-10cm)
long divided
into narrow
segments on long
stalks
- Location:
open areas, on
grassy or sandy
slopes
- Range:
southern
California to
southern
Washington, east
to Texas
It is possible
to use this
flower in
landscaping for
a temporary
spring display
by scattering
the seed in the
fall. Once
established it
will self seed.
Some yards in
Tucson are
covered in a
bright gold mass
of these flowers
each spring.
There seems to be
some confusion about
the scientific name
for this flower,
various texts list
this flower as
Eschscholtzia
californica var
mexicana or
Eschscholtzia
mexicana. They can't
even agree on the
spelling of
Eschscholtzia,
spelling it with and
without a 't'.
Eschscholtzia or
Eschscholzia?
Taxonomic
Hierarchy
|
|
Kingdom |
Plantae
--
Plants |
|
Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta
--
Vascular
plants |
|
Superdivision |
Spermatophyta
-- Seed
plants |
|
Division |
Magnoliophyta
--
Flowering
plants |
|
Class |
Magnoliopsida
--
Dicotyledons |
|
Subclass |
Magnoliidae
– |
|
Order |
Papaverales
– |
|
Family |
Papaveraceae
– Poppy
family |
|
Genus |
Eschscholzia
Cham. –
California
poppy |
|
Species |
Eschscholzia
californica
Cham. –
California
poppy |
|
Subspecies |
Eschscholzia
californica
Cham.
ssp.
mexicana
(Greene)
C. Clark
–
California
poppy |
|
Official California State Flower