Botanical Name :Kallstroemia grandiflora
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Subfamily: Tribuloideae
Genus: Kallstroemia
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Zygophyllales
Synonym(s): Arizona poppy, orange caltrop, summer poppy
Common Name :Caltrop,Arizona Poppy,Arizona Caltrop, Mexican Poppy
Habitat :Kallstroemia grandiflora is native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Americas. Desert, Upland. It grows in desert washes, along roadsides, and in sunny, open areas.
Description:
Flower Color: Golden orange, Golden yellow
Flowering Season: Summer, Fall (early). This wildflower blooms after the summer monsoon rains have begun.
Height: Sprawling to 3 feet (91 cm) long
The flowers are up to 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) wide and have 5 petals with raised, orange veins and dark red-orange at the base of the petals. In favorable areas, the blooming plants can create large-scale wildflower displays. The flowers are followed by bristly, beaked fruits that split into 10 nutlets. The leaves are green, opposite, and pinnately compound with paired, oval leaflets. The stems are hairy and sprawling.
Despite its common name, Arizona Poppy is not actually a poppy because it’s not in the Poppy Family (Papaveraceae).
Medicinal Uses:
Native Americans chewed the leaves for toothache, and applied a poultice of them to skin sores and bruises. The powdered root in warm water was used as a wash for sore eyes. A tea made of the root was used for stomachache, diarrhea, and fever. This plant is an effective astringent and hemostatic, with its effects lasting the length of the intestinal tract and therefore of use in dysentery and general intestinal inflammations. It may be used as a systemic hemostatic; when drunk after a sprain or major bruise or hematoma will help stabilize the injury and facilitate quicker healing. The tea will also lessen menstrual flow. A few leaves in a little water or a weak tea is a soothing eyewash.
Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
http://www.delange.org/PoppyArizona/PoppyArizona.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kallstroemia
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