J20160510-0035Romneya coulteriBerkeley

Description:

Romneya coulterimatilija poppy. Included in the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants on list 4.2 (limited distribution). Many early references mention the plant as being present in what are now Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Indeed, the common name is from the Matilijia River of Ventura County. Few populations exist north of Los Angeles County these days. It extends south from LA to Baja California. The species is notoriously difficult to start in gardens and, being a rhizomatous perennial, equally difficult to stop once started. Photographed along the Santa Fe Right of Way (now a bike/pedestrian path) in Berkeley, CA.