Argemone pinnatisecta facts for kids

The Argemone pinnatisecta, also known as the Sacramento prickly poppy, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the poppy family. This plant looks very thorny and can grow up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall. Its stems are covered in bluish-green leaves that have jagged edges and spiky tips.

Even the flower buds are covered in sharp, thin thorns. These thorns stay until the flowers open, usually between May and August. When they open, you can see six white petals, each up to four centimeters long and nine centimeters wide. In the center, there's a bright yellow part called an anther with many stamens sticking out. After flowering, the plant produces fruits that hold small black seeds, about two millimeters wide.

Where It Lives

The Sacramento prickly poppy is quite rare. It only grows in Otero County, New Mexico, in the United States. So far, it has only been found in about ten canyons within this area of the Sacramento Mountains.

Its Home and How It Grows

This plant is a perennial, which means it lives for more than two years. It prefers to grow on the sides and bottoms of canyons. You can also find it along roads near the bottom of these canyons. The Sacramento prickly poppy likes new, loose soil that has a lot of gravel. It grows at heights between 4,200 and 7,100 feet (about 1,280 to 2,164 meters) above sea level.

A view of a typical Sacramento Mountain landscape.

In January, the temperatures in these valleys are usually around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). At higher elevations, it can be colder, around 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degree Celsius). During the summer, temperatures can get very hot, sometimes over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The area usually gets about 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain each year.

Why It Needs Protection

In the 1980s, there were about 1,300 Sacramento prickly poppies. However, their numbers have gone down recently, and scientists are not sure why. This plant seems to grow best in places where the land has been disturbed in the past, like old, unused fields or along roadsides. Because of this, the plant's appearance can be "episodic," meaning it shows up less often and in fewer places.

Because it is so rare and its numbers are declining, the Sacramento prickly poppy has been added to the federal U.S. Endangered Species List. This means it is protected by law to help it survive and recover.