Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Chaparral

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Uncommon

About

The hairy Matilija poppy is a cactus-like plant native to the deserts of California and Mexico, where it thrives in arid chaparral and coastal sage scrub. Each flower is a whopping 20 centimeters wide, and its bristle-covered stems grow up to 1.5 meters tall, making it a spectacular sight for any cactus enthusiast.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Ranunculales

Family

Papaveraceae

Genus

Romneya

Species

Romneya trichocalyx