Cream-cups
Platystemon californicus
Synonyms: Platystemon acutatus, Platystemon termini, Platystemon microlobus, Platystemon verecundus, Platystemon nigricans, Platystemon crenatus, Boothia californica, Platystemon californicus var. ornithopus, Platystemon turbinatus, Platystemon obtectus, Platystemon emarginatus, Platystemon glyptolobus, Platystemon villosus, Platystemon pectinatus, Platystemon confinis, Platystemon heterander, Platystemon communis var. pilifer, Platystemon commixtus, Platystemon capsularis, Platystemon californicus var. linearis, Platystemon proximus, Platystemon petrinus, Platystemon rigidulus, Platystemon horridulus, Platystemon quercetorum, Platystemon intermedius, Platystemon leptander, Platystemon setosus, Platystemon californicus var. horridulus, Platystemon mendocinus, Platystemon californicus var. capsularis, Platystemon californicus var. ciliatus, Platystemon australis, Platystemon arizonicus, Platystemon leiocarpus, Platystemon anemonoides, Platystemon tessellatus, Platystemon subereus, Platystemon mohavensis, Platystemon californicus var. nutans, Platystemon tympanifer, Platystemon contortus, Platystemon nutans, Platystemon obtectus var. sanctarum, Platystemon tortuosus, Platystemon crinitus, Platystemon ornithopus, Platystemon elegans, Platystemon verecundus var. glabrifructifer, Platystemon penicillatus, Platystemon exsculptus, Platystemon communis var. stylosus, Platystemon aculeolatus, Platystemon hallii, Platystemon communis, Platystemon cernuus, Platystemon californicus var. sphaerocarpus, Platystemon pilosellus, Platystemon hispidulus, Platystemon remotus, Platystemon hyacinthinus, Platystemon antoninus, Platystemon purpuratus, Platystemon sphaerocarpus, Platystemon leucanthus, Platystemon rugosus, Platystemon loesenerianus, Platystemon californicus var. leiocarpus, Platystemon californicus var. crinitus, Platystemon arvorum
Gallery
Botanical Description
Platystemon californicus, commonly called cream-cups or creamcups, is an annual herb in the poppy family (Papaveraceae) endemic to western North America, ranging across Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California. Plants are typically hairy and sometimes appear woolly, with upright to decumbent stems 3 to 30 centimeters long. The leaves are oppositely arranged or whorled along the stem, widely linear with smooth margins and rounded or pointed tips, and measure 1 to 9 centimeters in length. Solitary flowers emerge from leaf axils or stem tips on slender peduncles. Each flower typically bears six petals (occasionally more), measuring 6 to 19 millimeters, and exhibits one of five characteristic colour patterns: solid white, solid yellow, or white with yellow tips or bases. The flower's centre contains several whorls of stamens with thickened filaments. The fruit is a slender capsule up to 1.6 centimeters long, dividing at maturity into many one-seeded segments containing shiny black seeds. The species inhabits open grasslands and sandy soils below about 1,800 meters elevation and is partly wind-pollinated and partly visited by solitary bees.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
The Mendocino Indians of California gathered the young, green leaves of Platystemon californicus and ate them as a cooked potherb, an ethnobotanical food use rather than a medicinal application (Chestnut, 1902).
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.