Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council Plants Resource Page

Plant of the Month - Prickly Popcorn Flower

Johnny-jump-up

Prickly Popcorn Flower

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Plant Description

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


Prickly Popcorn Flower - Originally featured: March 2012
Last modified: May 12 2017 16:41:10.
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
Images Botanical Terms for Leaves