California poppy

California Poppy

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Papaveraceae
Genus:	Eschscholzia
Species:	E. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Magnoliopsida is the Botanical name for a class of Flowering plants By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its Ranunculales is an order of Flowering plants Of necessity it contains the family Ranunculaceae, the Buttercup family Eschscholzia is a Genus of 12 flowering plants in the Papaveraceae ( Poppy) family californica

Binomial name

Eschscholzia californica
Cham.

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is native to grassy and open areas from sea level to 2,000m (6,500 feet) altitude in the western United States throughout California, extending to Oregon, southern Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and in Mexico in Sonora and northwest Baja California. Adelbert von Chamisso ( January 30 1781 &ndash August 21 1838) was a German Poet and Botanist. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico and is located in the northwest of the country Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico.

It can grow 5–60 cm tall, with alternately branching glaucous blue-green foliage. The leaves are ternately divided into round, lobed segments. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. The flowers are solitary on long stems, silky-textured, with four petals, each petal 2-6 cm long and broad; their color ranges from yellow to orange, and flowering is from February to September. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also The fruit is a slender dehiscent capsule 3-9 cm long, which splits in two to release the numerous small black or dark brown seeds. The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. In Botany a capsule is a type of simple dry Fruit produced by many species of Flowering plants A capsule is a dehiscent structure composed of two A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored It is perennial in mild parts of its native range, and annual in colder climates; growth is best in full sun and sandy, well-drained, poor soil.

It grows well in disturbed areas and often recolonizes after fires. In addition to being planted for horticulture, revegetation, and highway beautification, it often colonizes along roadsides and other disturbed areas. Horticulture is the art and science of plant cultivation Horticulturists (or horticuluralists) work and conduct research in the fields of Plant propagation Restoration ecology is the study of renewing a degraded damaged or destroyed Ecosystem through active human intervention * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve It is drought-tolerant, self-seeding, and easy to grow in gardens. It is also pictured in welcome signs while entering California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

1 Taxonomy
2 History and uses
3 As an invasive species
4 References
5 External links

Taxonomy

The species is very variable, and over 90 synonyms exist. This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" Some botanists accept two subspecies, one with four varieties (e. In Zoology, as in other branches of Biology, subspecies is the Taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a Species. In Botanical nomenclature or biological nomenclature variety is a low-level Taxonomic rank below that of species and signifies members of different populations can g. Leger and Rice, 2003), though others do not recognise them as distinct (e. g. Jepson 1993):

E. californica subsp. californica, native to California, Baja California, and Oregon, widely planted as an ornamental, and an invasive elsewhere (see below).
- E. californica subsp. californica var. californica, which is found along the coast from the San Francisco Peninsula north. The San Francisco Peninsula in California separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. They are perennial and somewhat prostrate, with yellow flowers.
- E. californica subsp. californica var. maritima (E. L. Greene) Jeps. Edward Lee Greene ( August 20, 1843 – November 10, 1915) was an American Botanist. Willis Linn Jepson (born August 19, 1867 at Little Oak Ranch, near Vacaville California; died November 7, 1946, Berkeley , which is found along the coast from Monterey south to San Miguel Island. For the Portuguese island see São Miguel Island. San Miguel Island is the westernmost of California's Channel Islands and the sixth-largest They are perennial, long-lived, glaucous, short in stature, and have extremely prostrate growth and yellow flowers.
- E. californica subsp. californica var. crocea (Benth.) Jeps. George Bentham CMG FRS ( September 22, 1800 &ndash September 10, 1884) was an English Botanist, characterized by Duane Isely , which grows in non-arid inland regions. They are perennial, taller, and have orange flowers.
- E. California subsp. californica var. peninsularis (E. L. Greene) Munz, which is an annual or facultative annual growing in arid inland environments.
E. californica subsp. mexicana (E. L. Greene) C. Edward Lee Greene ( August 20, 1843 – November 10, 1915) was an American Botanist. Clark, the Mexican Goldpoppy, which is found in the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is

History and uses

Eschscholzia californica was the first named member of the genus Eschscholzia, which was named by the German botanist Adelbert von Chamisso after another botanist, Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, his friend and colleague on Otto von Kotzebue’s scientific expedition to California and the greater Pacific in the early 19th century. Adelbert von Chamisso ( January 30 1781 &ndash August 21 1838) was a German Poet and Botanist. Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz ( 1 November 1793 &ndash 19 May 1831) was a Baltic German Physician, Botanist, Otto von Kotzebue ( Russian Отто Евстафьевич Коцебу Otto Evstaf'evič Kocebu, December 30, 1787 - February 15

The California poppy is the California state flower. This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U It was selected as the state flower by the California State Floral Society in December 1890, winning out over the Mariposa lily (genus Calochortus) and the Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) by a landslide, but the state legislature did not make the selection official until 1903. Calochortus is a genus of bulbous plants that includes 70 species from British Columbia to Guatemala and east to Nebraska. Calochortus is a genus of bulbous plants that includes 70 species from British Columbia to Guatemala and east to Nebraska. The Matilija poppy or tree poppy ( Romneya Harvey) is a Poppy of Southern California and Northern Mexico, belonging Romneya coulteri ( Coulter's Matilija poppy; syn Romneya trichocalyx Eastw Its golden blooms were deemed a fitting symbol for the Golden State. April 6 of each year is designated "California Poppy Day. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus "

Horticulturalists have produced numerous cultivars with various other colors and blossom and stem forms. Horticulture is the art and science of plant cultivation Horticulturists (or horticuluralists) work and conduct research in the fields of Plant propagation A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar These typically do not breed true on reseeding.

A common misconception associated with the plant, because of its status as a state flower, is that the cutting or damaging of the California poppy is illegal. There is no such law in California, outside of state law that makes it a misdemeanor to cut or remove any plant growing on state or county highways or public lands except by authorized government employees and contractors; it is also against the law to remove plants on private property without the permission of the owner (Cal. Penal Code Section 384a).

California poppy leaves were used medicinally by Native Americans, and the pollen was used cosmetically. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes ( pollen grains) which produce the male Gametes (sperm cells of The seeds are used in cooking.

Extract from the California poppy acts as a mild sedative when smoked. The effect is far milder than that of opium, which contains a different class of alkaloids. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies (

The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is located in northern Los Angeles County, California. The Antelope Valley California Poppy State Reserve is a state-protected reserve land located in the rural westside of the Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County Los Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States. At the peak of the blooming season, orange petals seem to cover all 1,745 acres (7 km²) of the reserve.

As an invasive species

Because of its beauty and ease of growing, the California poppy was introduced into several regions with similar Mediterranean climates. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide It is commercially sold and widely naturalized in Australia, and was introduced to South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. In Chile, it was introduced from multiple sources between the mid 1800s and the early 1900s. It appears to have been both intentionally imported as an ornamental garden plant, and accidentally introduced along with alfalfa seed grown in California. Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop Since Chile and California have similar climatic regions and have experienced much agricultural exchange, it is perhaps not surprising that it was introduced to Chile. Once there, its perennial forms spread primarily in human-disturbed environments (Leger and Rice, 2003).

Interestingly, the introduced Chilean populations of California poppy appear to be larger and more fecund in their introduced range than in their native range (Leger and Rice, 2003). Fecundity, derived from the word fecund, generally refers to the ability to Reproduce. Introduced populations have been noted to be larger and more reproductively successful than native ones (Elton, 1958), and there has been much speculation as to why. Increase in resource availability, decreased competition, and release from enemy pressure have all been proposed as explanations.

seeds

One hypothesis is that the resources devoted in the native range to a defense strategy, can in the absence of enemies be devoted to increased growth and reproduction (the EICA Hypothesis, Blossey & Nötzold, 1995). A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA Hypothesis was first proposed by Berd Blossey and Rolf Nötzold in 1995 as a way to explain the success of invasive Non-indigenous However, this is not the case with introduced populations of E. californica in Chile: the Chilean populations were actually more resistant to Californian caterpillars than the native populations (Leger and Forister, 2005).

Within the USA, it is also recognized as a potentially invasive species, being classified in Tennessee as a Rank 3 (Lesser Threat) species, i. Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. e. an exotic plant species that spreads in or near disturbed areas, and is not presently considered a threat to native plant communities (Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council). Also, no indications of ill effects have been reported for this plant where it has been introduced outside of California. Ironically, it has been displaced in large areas of its original habitat, such as Southern California, by more invasive exotic species, such as mustard or annual grasses.

It is not known whether efforts are being undertaken anywhere in its introduced range to control or prevent further spread, nor what methods would be best suited to do so.

References

Blossey, B. , and R. Nötzold. 1995. Evolution of increased competitive ability in invasive non-indigenous plants: a hypothesis. Ecology 83: 887-889.
Elton, C. S. The ecology of invasions by animals and plants. Chapman & Hall, London.
Leger, E. A. and K. J. Rice. 2003. Invasive California poppies (Eschscholzia californica Cham. ) grow larger than native individuals under reduced competition. Ecology Letters 6:257-264.
Leger, E. A. , and M. L. Forister. 2005. Increased to generalist herbivores in invasive populations of the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Diversity and Distributions 11: 311-317.
Jepson Flora Project (1993): Eschscholzia californica
The California poppy and its relatives

External links

Eschscholzia californica	Eschscholzia californica	Eschscholzia californica	Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
In early March	In May	On the state's official welcome signs	On the state's scenic route signs
On a postcard, c. 1910	A field of California Poppies		E. californica Macroscopy detailing pistil and stamen, top view
E. californica Macroscopy detailing pistil and stamen, side view	California Poppy at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA	California Poppy in Morro Bay State Park	Yellow and orange California poppy, Point Reyes National Seashore