Eschscholzia
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 California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
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Eschscholzia is a genus of 12 flowering plants in the Papaveraceae (poppy) family. The genus was named after the Baltic German botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz (1793-1831).
Many of the plants in this genus are annuals or perennials with deeply cut glabrous or glaucous leaves. These are mostly basal, but a few grow on the stem.
They feature showy four-petaled yellow or orange terminal flowers, growing solitary or in many-flowered cymes. They are funnel-shaped. The two fused sepals fall off as the flower bud opens. The petals are wedge-shaped. There are 12 to numerous stamens.
They develop a cylindrical, dehiscent fruit, producing many tiny seeds.
Two species are widely cultivated. These flowers have the habit of closing in cloudy weather.
The taproot gives off a colorless or orange milky juice. These plants are mildly toxic.
The best-known is the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the state flower of California; another common in cultivation is E. lobbii, which is often sold as "Eschscholzia caespitosa", even though the two species are quite different.
[edit] Species
- Eschscholzia caespitosa : Tufted Poppy, Foothill Poppy, Collarless California Poppy
- Eschscholzia californica : California Poppy
- Eschscholzia elegans
- Eschscholzia glyptosperma
- Eschscholzia hypecoides
- Eschscholzia lemmonii
- Eschscholzia lobbii
- Eschscholzia minutiflora
- Eschscholzia palmeri
- Eschscholzia parishii
- Eschscholzia ramosa
- Eschscholzia rhombipetala
They prosper in warm, dry climates, but withstand some frost. They grow in poor soils with good water drainage.
