Shrubs or small trees, evergreen, glabrous; sap colorless. Stems leafy. Leaves alternate, short-petiolate; blade unlobed, leathery; margins entire or minutely denticulate. Inflorescences terminal on short branchlets, 1-flowered. Flowers: sepals 2, distinct; petals 4, yellow, obovate or obcuneate, with satin sheen from microscopic linear grooves; stamens many; pistil 1, 2-carpellate; ovary cylindric to long-conic, 1-locular; style absent; stigmas 2, obcompressed. Fruits capsular, cylindric, 2-valved, dehiscing from base along placentas. Seeds many, brown or black, obovoid, smooth, pale carunculate, aril absent. x = 28.

Distribution

w North America.

Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Dendromecon harfordii, Dendromecon rigida

Key

1	Leaf blades lanceolate, 3–8 times longer than wide, margins minutely denticulate, apex acute to acuminate; mainland.	Dendromecon rigida
1	Leaf blades elliptic, ovate, or oblong, 1.5–3 times longer than wide, margins entire, apex usually rounded; California Channel Islands.	Dendromecon harfordii