Flora of North America species comparison

4-10(-15) dm, sparingly to moderately prickly.

leafy or naked, erect, spreading, or decumbent, simple or branching.

blades: abaxial surface sparingly prickly on main veins, adaxial surface unarmed or sparingly prickly on main veins;

basal and proximal lobed 1/2-4/5 distance to midrib;

distal clasping.

basal and/or cauline, alternate to opposite or whorled, simple, without stipules, petiolate or sessile;

blade unlobed or with 1-3 odd-pinnate, subpalmate, or palmate orders of lobes.

buds broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, body 12-18 × 10-16 mm, sparingly to rather closely prickly;

sepal horns terete, 3-6(-10) mm, usually unarmed.

axillary or terminal, unifloral or else multifloral and cymiform, racemose, umbelliform, corybiform, or paniculate, pedunculate or subsessile;

bracts usually present.

5-10 cm broad, closely to more distantly subtended by 1-2 foliaceous bracts;

petals white;

stamens 150 or more;

filaments lemon yellow;

pistil (3-)4-5(-7)-carpellate.

radially symmetric, pedicellate or sessile;

receptacle sometimes expanded and forming cup or ring beneath calyx (only in Eschscholzia, Meconella, and Platystemon);

perianth and androecium sometimes perigynous;

sepals caducous, 2 or 3, distinct or connate, usually obovate;

petals distinct, usually obovate, mostly 2 times number of sepals, sometimes more or absent;

stamens many or 4-15 (only in Meconella and Canbya);

anthers 2-locular;

pistil 1, 2-18[-22]-carpellate;

ovary 1-2-locular or incompletely to completely multilocular by placental intrusion;

placentas 2 or more, parietal;

style 1 or absent;

stigmas or stigma lobes 2-many.

capsular, dehiscence valvate, poricidal, or transverse, or carpels dissociating and breaking transversely into 1-seeded segments (only in Platystemon).

oblong, oblong-ellipsoid, or narrowly ellipsoid, 20-40(-45) × 10-15(-25) mm (including stigma and excluding prickles), prickly, surface clearly visible to partially obscured, longest prickles widely spaced, 6-10(-12) mm, sometimes interspersed with smaller ones.

1.6-2 mm.

usually many, small, sometimes arillate or carunculate.