The colors below indicate the kind of documentation available for this species
in the California counties where it occurs.
Wind Poppy Stylomecon heterophylla (Papaveraceae)
The wide range of flower colors is produced by relatively few pigments. Red, orange, and yellow flowers owe their brilliant hues to a group of pigments called carotenoids. Similar pigments are responsible for some of the brilliant fall colors in the deciduous forests of the eastern United States. The striking flowers of Wind Poppy are accented by the green or purple-spotted tapered neck or claw at the base of each petal. The many dainty stamens of this species are well positioned for dusting the bodies of bees as they shuttle from flower to flower.
DISTRIBUTION: Grassy areas and openings in chaparral from southern NW Calif to the southern Sierra Nevada Foothills and San Joaquin Valley to CW and SW Calif.; < 1200 m.
