Plant of the Month Pages

Prickly Popcorn Flower
- Cryptantha muricata

Common Name(s):Prickly Popcorn Flower
Scientific Name:Cryptantha muricata
Family:Boraginaceae (Borage)
Plant Type:Annual
Size:up to 36 inches
Habitat:open areas on rocky slopes
Blooms:January to June
Fire Response:Fire Follower

Prickly Popcorn Flower is an erect branching annual up to 3 feet tall. A field full of this plant in bloom can resemble a dusting of snow.

Small white popcorn-looking flowers form clusters at the ends of main branches. They have 5 petals and yellow centers. Blooming occurs from March through June. Leaves are linear and alternate, upt to 2 inches long. Stems are stout and contain many branches. The plant's foliage is covered with short bristles.

The genus name Cryptantha means "hidden flower", a carryover from another species in the genus whose flowers self-fertilized. The species name muricata means "small spines". There are several other species of Cryptanthas or Popcorn Flowers in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Contributed by Liz Baumann

Previous POTM
Next POTM

Featured Plants in the Boraginaceae (Borage) Family:


Prickly Popcorn Flower - Originally featured: March 2012
Last modified: May 17 2024 10:45:34.
Number of Images: 8
Image Size Total: 934,647

References:

Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains, by Milt McAuley
Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains, Coastal and Chaparral Regions of Southern California, by Nancy Dale
Chumash Ethnobotany: Plant Knowledge Among the Chumash People, by Jan Timbrook
Leaf Shapes Primer - Botanical Terms for Leaves: - Link

Rate This Page Plant & Flower Resource Page Plant Home Page Top of Page