[Illustration: Eschscholtzia mexicana]
Common names: GOLDPOPPY, DESERTPOPPY, (_COPRA-DE-ORO_), MEXICAN POPPY
Arizona desert: (_Eschscholtzia mexicana_). Orange. February-May.
California desert: (_Eschscholtzia glyptosperma_). Bright yellow.
March-May.
Poppy family. Size: 3 inches to a foot high, with many flower stems.
Because of their abundance and dense growth, following winters of heavy
precipitation, these annual poppies often cover portions of the desert
with “a cloth of gold.” They are closely related to the well-known
California Poppy, state flower of California, and a common border or
bedding plant in home flower gardens. In the desert, Goldpoppies are
sometimes mixed with Owlclover, Lupines, and other spring flowers
forming a multi-colored carpet that attracts visitors from great
distances. (See cover.)