Papaveraceae

Argemone munita

Prickly Poppy

Stems stout and upright, branched, with long yellow spines. Sap yellow to orange, milky. Leaves sessile, covered with spines on both sides, oblong, 2–6 in. long, irregularly and often deeply divided, lobes with spiny teeth. Flowers at stem tips above bracts covered with upright spines. Flower sepals with appendages have long spines forming horns that are shed before flowering; petals 6, silky, white, 1–2 in. long. Seedpod cylindrical, densely spiny. Grows on sandy and gravelly soils, dry washes. Note that the sap contains several poisonous alkaloids. Rare in Oregon.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: All Summer
• Life Cycle: Annual, Perennial
• Height: 20--34 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe
• Found In:
• Native: Yes