General: Desert Bearpoppy (Arctomecon merriamii), also called White Bearpoppy, is a perennial forb that tends to grow in limestone soils. The silvery-gray, hairy leaves grow in a clump on the ground. The large, white-poppy flowers grow atop long stems.
Desert Bearpoppy is a rare component of desert vegetation communities along washes and on bajadas in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zone. Around Las Vegas, look for this species in Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and in Desert National Wildlife Refuge.
Because it is rare, Desert Bearpoppy is considered to be a sensitive species.
Family: Poppy (Papaveraceae).
Other Names: White bearpoppy, white bear poppy, white bear-poppy, desert bear-poppy |