Platystemon californicus
Creamcups
an annual member of the Platystemon genus in the family Papaveraceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Genus
- Platystemon
- Life cycle
- annual
- Height
- 0.3 m
- Spread
- 0.1 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - cooked[2][3]. Used as greens[7].
- Plant part
- Leaves
Environment
- Range
- South-western N. America.
- Habitat
- Open grassy clay or sandy places, also on burns, usually below 900 metres in California[8].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 8+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring or early autumn in situ[4].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in a sunny position in most soils[1][5]. A highly polymorphic species, it is considered by some botanists to be an aggregate species of up to 60 segregates[8]. The flowers have a delicate sweet perfume[6].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00