, Family Poppy (Papaveraceae) Height 5"-24" Color Orange and, less commonly, yellow and pink Flowers 2", 4 petals, 1 per stem Blooms March - June Leaves Gray-green, waxy, multidissected. Alternate or basal from stem. Habitat Grassy open areas. Roadsides. Disturbed places.     California state flower. Flowers close at night and in inclement weather. Poisonous. The Ohlone used a decoction prepared from the flowers to rid the scalp of lice. When a child was restless or unable to sleep, one or two California Poppy flowers were placed beneath their bed to help relax them. Pomo mothers used a decoction of mashed seed pods to stop nursing.[1] caption: file: x - square 0" x 0" at 300 dpi - release: contact us regarding image add image to lightbox References Alden, Peter, and Fred Heath. National Audubon Society Field Guide to California. New York: Knopf, 1998. Beidleman, Linda H., and Eugene N. Kozloff. Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2003. Mount Diablo Wildflowers. Walnut Creek, CA: Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association, 2005. Munz, Philip A. Introduction to California Spring Wildflowers of the Foothills, Valleys, and Coast. Eds. Dianne Lake and Phyllis M. Faber. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2004. [1] URL: http://www.nps.gov/archive/prsf/nathist1/wildflowers/yellows/california_poppy.htm