Carpenteria californica
(Philadelphaceae)
Tree Anemone is an erect shrub with distinctive peeling bark that attains a height of nearly three meters. Each flower consists of 4-7 brilliant white petals that form a backdrop for a radiant whorl of yellow stamens. The flowers are typically arranged in a grouping called a cyme. This is a flat-topped or convex flower cluster with central flowers opening first.
DISTRIBUTION: Rare along streambanks, chaparral, and oak woodland in the central and southern Sierra Nevada Foothills; 450-1000 m.