White Prickly Poppy

— White prickly poppy, also known as Argemone albiflora, is a beautiful flowering plant native to North America. It can be found growing in a variety of habitats, including fields, meadows, and roadsides. During the month of May, here in Austin, Texas, we can find these wildflowers in every field. In Texas, they are also known as Texas prickly poppies.

In this first photo, I call your attention to the amount of pollen on the flower petals and also on the pollen sac you can see in the bee that is approaching this flower. It is no wonder that this bee is so enamored with the flower. I did not have to wait very long to capture this image. There were a lot of bees coming for that pollen.

The plant gets its name from its white flowers, which are surrounded by prickly, spine-covered bracts (click on the photo here to see its large version). The white prickly poppy is a member of the poppy family, Papaveraceae, and it is closely related to the opium poppy and California poppy. Although white is a more common color, the flowers can also appear in pink and yellow. As seen in these photos, the plant is pollinated by bees and butterflies.

The white prickly poppy is a herbaceous annual plant that grows to be about 3 feet tall. The leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, and covered in sharp spines. The flowers are white and have a diameter of about 2 inches. The fruit is a capsule that contains numerous seeds. The flowers are white with a yellow center, and they have a sweet fragrance.

The white prickly poppy is a poisonous plant. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids, which can be harmful if ingested. The sap from the plant can cause skin irritation, and the seeds can be poisonous if ingested. You can see some of the fruits in the final image here. On the other hand, the plant is also medicinal and has been used for centuries to treat various ailments, including pain, inflammation, and fever.

On the surface, they may appear very delicate. In fact, the texture of its white leaves resembles soft paper. You can see that by looking at a large version of the photos below. After some rain, it is also impressive to look at these flowers and how they retain some raindrops on their petals.

This post is an entry to Cee’s Photo Challenges blog for the Flower of the Day (FOTD).