Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses - Hedge-hog prickly-poppy

HEDGE-HOG PRICKLY-POPPY

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Argemone squarrosa Greene

Cimarron National Grassland, Morton County, Kansas

Perennial

Height: 16- 32 inches

Family: Papaveraceae - Poppy Family

Flowering Period: June, July

Stems:

Plants prickly, with yellow sap. Stems 1-several, erect, usually branched, usually densely prickly, prickles spreading.

Leaves:

Basal and/or cauline, alternate, simple. Blades: proximal oblanceolate, 2.4 to 4.8 inches long, 1.2 to 2.8 inches wide, base short attenuate; margins deeply pinnately lobed, crisped, irregularly prickle-toothed, abaxial surface prickly on main veins, often also minutely prickly or hispid between veins, adaxial surface prickly or not on main veins, often prickly or hispid between veins; middle and distal blades oblanceolate to ovate, gradually reduced, shallowly lobed, mostly sessile.

Inflorescences:

Terminal; peduncles .4 to 1.2 inches; buds nearly globose to oblong, .3 to 1 inch long, .6 to .8 inch wide, hispid and prickly; bracts 1-2, leaf-like.

Flowers:

Radially symmetric; sepals 2-3, broadly elliptic, unarmed or prickly, each with hollow horn tipped with prickle; horns angular in cross section, .3 to .6 inch, mostly erect; petals 6, white, broadly obovate, .8 to 2 inches long, 1.2 to 2 inches wide, in 2 whorls of 3; stamens ca. 150; style short; stigma purple, 3-5-lobed.

Fruits:

Capsules, erect, ellipsoid to lanceoloid or ovoid, 1 to 2 inches long, 1 to 2 inches long, .4 to .7 inch wide, splitting apically into 3-6 valves, prickly and hispid; longest prickles .3 to .6 inch; 2-horned crest along 1 side, surface honeycombed; seeds dark brown, globose, .08 to .1 inch, minutely pitted; arillate.

Habitat:

Dry, sandy shortgrass and sandsage prairies, roadsides

Distribution:

West half of Kansas

Origin:

Native

Comments:

Argemonepoppy-like plant mentioned by Pliny and squarrosa, recurved, alluding to the prickles.

See also Argemone polyanthemos

Hedge-hog prickly-poppy flower