Eschscholzia Cham.

Herbs, annual or perennial, glaucous, with watery sap. Leaves alternate, radical or cauline, ternately dissected into narrow segments, petioled. Flowers solitary, terminal or axillary, long-pedicelled, large, showy. Torus turbinate with a broad, flat or recurved border surrounding the base of pistil and on inner edge of which the calyx, corolla and stamens are inserted showing a perigynous appearance. Sepals 2, oblong, deciduous, connate, forming a hood or calyptra-like cap, which is pushed off by the expanding petals. Petals 4, free, whitish or yellowish. Stamens many, inserted at base of petals; anthers linear-lanceolate or oblong, basifixed, dithecous; filaments shorter than anthers, dilated at base. Ovary linear, ribbed; styles very short; stigmas 4 - 6, filiform, unequal. Capsules linear, with a narrow base, dehiscing by 2 valves from base to apex, ribbed; seeds numerous, globose, reticulate.

Native to North America; ca 10 species, one introduced into India as a garden plant.

List of Lower Taxa