Platystemon californicus

Platystemon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the Papaveraceae (Poppy) family containing the single species Platystemon californicus, which is known by the common name Creamcups. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it is a common spring wildflower in many types of habitat. In California it is found from north to south, along the coast, in foothills, the Coast Ranges, Transverse Range and Peninsular Range. It is populr as an ornamental plant for landscaping and revegetation of recently burned areas. This is an annual herb which is quite variable in appearance. The oppositely arranged leaves are 2 to 8 centimeters long and in shape linear, lance-shaped, or oblong. It is hairy in texture, sometimes with very long hairs. The flower cluster is a single flower on a tall peduncle up to 20 centimeters high. The flower has six petals which may be pure white or golden or white with large gold spots or gold tips. The center of the flower is filled with a tuftlike cluster of many thick, flattened stamens. The fruit is a capsule with several one-seeded sections that break apart. There is one recognized variety, var. ciliatus, which is a rare plant endemic to Santa Barbara Island.