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Synonyms:
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Argemone ochroleuca Sweet subsp. ochroleuca Argemone subfusiformis G.B. Ownbey
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| Common names:
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Mexican poppy (English)
Prickly poppy (English)
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| Frequency:
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Common |
| Status:
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Introduced |
Description:
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Erect, glaucous herb to 1 m, with spiny stems. Leaves sessile, × amplexicaul, pinnatifid with prickly teeth. Veins on upper surface white, the leaf appearing variegated. Flowers 35-45 mm in diameter, either bright yellow or cream coloured. Capsule 25-45 mm, ellipsoid, spiny. |
| Notes:
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Two colour forms occur, bright yellow and cream coloured. Both appear to be equally common. Some
authors have treated this as a separate species, namely Argemone ochroleuca Sweet subsp. ochroleuca |
| Derivation of specific name:
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mexicana: of Mexico |
| Habitat:
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A weed of waste land, disturbed sites and sandy river beds. |
| Altitude range: (metres) |
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| Flowering time:
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| Worldwide distribution:
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Native of Central and tropical South America. |
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Zimbabwe distribution:
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N,W,C,E,S |
| Growth form:
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A |
| Endemic status:
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| Red data list status:
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| Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
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| Spot characters:
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Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature:
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Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 90. (Includes a picture).
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