Argemone ochroleuca Sweet

Annual herb. Stems ± stout, decumbent to erect, sparsely spiny or sometimes without spines, 20–60 cm tall. Rosette lvs few, withering and falling early; cauline lvs persistent. All lvs sessile, glaucous, pale near veins, tapering gradually to base; lamina ovate to obovate, pinnatifid, 7–15 × 2–5 cm, coarsely toothed; each tooth tipped with a long yellowish spine. Fls solitary or in lax leafy cymes, closely subtended by 2–3 leaflike bracts. Sepals entire, spiny, but without lateral spines, glaucous, with a spine-tipped horn near apex. Petals 2–3 cm long, narrow-ovate, cream. Style 2–3 mm long; stigma magenta. Capsule ellipsoid, spiny, 1.5–3 × 0.7–1.5 cm, dehiscing by 4–(6) valves in distal ⅓. Seeds globose, reticulate, very dark brown, c. 1.5 mm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Dec.–Feb.–(May); Fruiting: Dec.–Feb.–(Jul.)