Platystemon californicus – Creamcups

Platystemon californicus - Creamcups, Cream Cups, California Creamcups (flower)

Platystemon californicus - Creamcups, Cream Cups, California Creamcups

Platystemon californicus - Creamcups, Cream Cups, California Creamcups (fruit)

Platystemon californicus - Creamcups, Cream Cups, California Creamcups

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Platystemon californicus

Synonyms: Platystemon arizonicus, P. confinis, P. mohavensis

Common Names: Creamcups, Cream Cups, California Creamcups

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert. This lovely wildflower often grows in moist, sandy ground at the edges of desert washes.

Flower Color: Pale cream, white, or tinged yellowish

Flowering Season: Spring

Height: To 1 foot (30 cm) tall

Description: The solitary flowers are 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and have 6 delicate, oval, cupped petals and 3 sepals. The flower buds are hairy and drooping. The flowers are followed by cylindrical, segmented, ridged fruit. The leaves are green, hairy, opposite, linear to narrowly lanceolate in shape, and clustered at the base of the plant. The stems and leaves are sparsely covered in unusual, long, white hairs.

Classification

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: Platystemon Benth. – creamcups
Species: Platystemon californicus Benth. – creamcups

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map