Eschscholtzia californica

9.9

A plant with bright orange cup-shaped flowers, the California poppy

noun
/ˌɛʃˌʃoʊlˈtsɪə kælɪˈfɔrnɪkə/

Specialized

: escoltzia californiana

Gardeners often plant Eschscholtzia californica for its vibrant blooms and drought resistance.

Examples

The golden fields of Eschscholtzia californica are a familiar sight along the Pacific coast in spring.
Eschscholtzia californica is the state flower of California and is celebrated each year during California Poppy Day.
The Eschscholtzia californica blooms beautifully in spring.
I planted Eschscholtzia californica in my garden last year.
Eschscholtzia californica is known for its bright yellow flowers that attract butterflies in the garden.
Many Californians take pride in having Eschscholtzia californica as a symbol of their state's natural beauty.
In full bloom, Eschscholtzia californica blankets the hillsides with vibrant colors every spring.

Synonyms

California poppy

vsEschscholtzia californica

Specialized

4.4

A small plant with bright yellow or orange flowers that grows on California hillsides

is the formal scientific name used in taxonomy

Surface Forms

Eschscholtzia californica singular

Eschscholtzia californicas plural

Morphology

Eschscholtzia + californica

This is a compositional scientific binomial: the genus name 'Eschscholtzia' denotes a plant genus and the epithet 'californica' means 'from California', so the overall sense 'the Eschscholtzia species from California (California poppy)' is directly derivable from the parts. Such Latin adjectival epithets transparently indicate geographic origin, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Eschscholtzia californica is a scientific name that honors the plant collector Eschscholtzia and tells us the plant comes from californica, meaning 'California'. So the name points to the bright orange 'California poppy' we see along the coast.