kristin_dotterrer's Favorites

There were dozens of these small coppery moths with super-long antennea on large patch of Narrowleaf Queen Poppies on North Wilderness trail.
Link to Fairy Longhorn Moths observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/207312042

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Creamcups (Platystemon californicus)--many, > 12, white stamens COMPARED TO Narrowleaf Queen Poppy (Hesperomecon linearis)--few yellow stamens surrounding green ovoid fruit. Both are in the Poppy (Papaveraceae) family and have yellow/white petals.

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Creamcups (Platystemon californicus) Native, annual, fire-follower, shaggy-hairy plant in the Poppy (Papaveraceae) family that grows up to 30cm (12 inches) tall in open grasslands and sandy or serpentine soils in many plant communities throughout California. Leaves are linear to lanceolate or narrowly oblong. Young flower buds are nodding. Flowers are 6-petaled, ovate to obovate, creamy white with yellow at base, shallowly saucer-shaped, turning pink with age. Stamens are generally white, > 12 (many), densely grouped in center of flower. Filaments are flattened. Peak bloom time: March- May. Fruits are ovate to widely linear, generally narrowed between the seeds.

Calflora (with species distribution map): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=6635

Flora of North America http://floranorthamerica.org/Platystemon_californicus

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp.230-231.

Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=38664
"Annual 3--30 cm, shaggy-hairy; sap colorless to orange. Leaf: basal and cauline, alternate and whorled, 1--9 cm, linear to lanceolate or narrowly oblong, entire. Inflorescence: axillary and terminal, 1-flowered; peduncle 3.4--26 cm, > leaves. Flower: buds nodding; sepals 3, hairy; petals 6, free, 6--19 mm, narrowly ovate to obovate, cream with yellow base, tip, or both (or all yellow), often persistent after flower; stamens > 12, free, filaments flat; carpels generally 9--18, fused, glabrous to densely long-hairy, separating in fruit. Fruit: 10--16 mm, ovoid to widely linear, generally narrowed between seeds, breaking transversely into 1-seeded, indehiscent units. Seed: 1 mm, elliptic to reniform, smooth, black."

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 161

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 247.

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/papaveraceae-xpoppy/

Leaf Terminology: Simple Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Native American Ethnobotany: Traditional Native Plant Uses (U.S. plants for medicines, fibers, tools): http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Platystemon+californicus

5-minute video of Fort Ord Flora and Fauna, produced by David Styer: https://fortordcleanup.com/archives/2020/natural-treasures-of-fort-ord-90-amazing-photographs/

Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (includes 1,000+ color photos) pp. 167-168.

My favorite Creamcups photo/observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112075722

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COMPARED TO

Narrowleaf Queen Poppy (Hesperomecon linearis) A.k.a. Narrow-leaved Meconella. Native, annual plant in the Poppy (Papaveraceae) family that grows up to 40 cm (up to 16 inches) tall open grassy slopes and meadows. Stems are sparsely long-hairy. Leaves are mostly basal, linear, narrow, ascending from base, and pilose (covered with long soft hairs). Young flower buds are nodding. Flowers are 6-petaled, ovate to obovate, creamy white with yellow at base, and shallowly saucer-shaped. Fruit capsules are green, ovoid, and usually visible in center of flower. Peak bloom time: March-May.

Calflora (with species distribution map) https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=10925

Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Hesperomecon_linearis

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 230-231.

Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=28048 "Annual, 3--40 cm, spreading-hairy. Leaf: basal or +- so, 5--85 mm, linear. Inflorescence: terminal, 1-flowered; peduncle 2.5--38 cm, > leaves, spreading-hairy. Flower: buds nodding; petals 3--20 mm, 2--10 mm wide, ovate to obovate, cream, base yellow or not, or outer 3 yellow, inner 3 cream; stamens many. Fruit: 10--15 mm, ovate. Seed: 0.4 mm, reniform-obovate."
Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=28048

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 160.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 246.

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/papaveraceae-xpoppy/

Leaf Terminology: Simple Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Native American Ethnobotany: Traditional Native Plant Uses (U.S. plants for medicines, fibers, tools): http://naeb.brit.org/ (species not listed)

5-minute video of Fort Ord Flora and Fauna, produced by David Styer: https://fortordcleanup.com/archives/2020/natural-treasures-of-fort-ord-90-amazing-photographs/

Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (includes 1,000+ color photos) (species not listed)

Here's a classic, frontal view look of the flower: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/169824778

Monterey Monkeyflower (Diplacus linearis) A.k.a. Chaparral bush monkeyflower and Santa Lucia Sticky Monkeyflower. Native/endemic, minutely coarse-hairy plant that is often seen further inland and at higher elevations in the Santa Lucia mountains than more commonly seen Orange Bush Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus). Leaves are glabrous, narrowly elliptic, serrated, edges generally +- flat and rolled under in drought. Flowers are 1--2 per node, deeply lobed, and pale orange. Peak bloom time: March-June.

Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=9864

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 232-233.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 370.

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/phrymaceae/

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=23088
This species has undergone many name changes. Per Jepson eFlora: "Synonyms: Diplacus fasciculatus (Pennell) McMinn; Diplacus longiflorus Nutt. var. linearis (Benth.) McMinn; Mimulus bifidus Pennell subsp. fasciculatus Pennell; Mimulus glutinosus J.C. Wendl. var. linearis (Benth.) A. Gray; Mimulus linearis Benth.; Mimulus longiflorus (Nutt.) A.L. Grant var. linearis (Benth.) A.L. Grant"