''Platystemon'' is a

monotypic genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

of flowering plants in the poppy family containing the single species ''Platystemon californicus'', which is known by the common name creamcups. It is native to Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah and

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, and is found in open grasslands and sandy soils below elevation. Platystemon_californicus_8013

Description

''Platystemon californicus'' is a variable plant taking such a wide range of forms it has been split, reorganized, and redescribed as up to 57 different species. Its form often varies according to geography and habitat conditions. Coastal forms may be hairless and a bit succulent, while semidesert individuals can be squat, hairy plants. Some authors describe separate varieties, which are

ecotype In evolutionary ecology, an ecotype,Greek: ''οίκος'' = home and ''τύπος'' = type, coined by Göte Turesson in 1922 sometimes called ecospecies, describes a genetically distinct geographic variety, population, or race within a specie ...

s adapted to specific, often very limited, habitat types.''Platystemon californicus''.
Flora of North America. The annual herb is usually at least a bit hairy, sometimes quite woolly. The stem is upright to decumbent and 3 to 30 centimeters long. The leaves are oppositely arranged or whorled about the stem. They are widely linear and smooth-edged with rounded or pointed tips. They are 1 to 9 centimeters long. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

is a single flower growing from a leaf axil or the tip of the stem. It is borne on a

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

3 to 26 centimeters long with three hairy sepals. The flower usually has six petals, but a large flower can have more. The petals vary in size, shape, and color. They measure 6 to 19 millimeters long and have rounded or pointed tips. There are five basic color patterns: solid white, solid yellow, and a white petal with a yellow tip or yellow base or both.Hannan, G. L. (1982)
Correlation of morphological variation in ''Platystemon californicus'' (Papaveraceae) with flower color and geography.
''Systematic Botany'' 7(1) 35-47. The all-yellow petals are less common. The petals may age reddish. The center of the flower is filled with several whorls of

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s with thickened ends. The fruit is a capsule up to 1.6 centimeters long which is divided into many sections containing shiny black seeds. The flowers are partly

wind-pollinated Anemophily or wind pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind. Almost all gymnosperms are anemophilous, as are many plants in the order Poales, including grasses, sedges, and rushes. Other common anemophilous pl ...

and partly pollinated by solitary bees.Hannan, G. L. (1981)
Flower color polymorphism and pollination biology of ''Platystemon californicus'' Benth.(Papaveraceae).
''American Journal of Botany'' 68(2) 233-43.

References

External links

*
''Platystemon californicus''.
CalPhotos. {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1029455, from2=Q15321448 Monotypic Papaveraceae genera Papaveroideae Flora of Arizona Flora of Baja California Flora of California Flora of Oregon Flora of Utah