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
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