Eschscholzia lobbii
Frying pans
(c) Wendy Herniman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Papaveraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eschscholzia lobbii (Frying pans) is a native California herb in the Papaveraceae family, recognized by basal leaves, leafless stalks, and small petals.
Frying pans is a California native annual found in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and Great Valley in open fields and grasslands at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with petals 7 to 12 millimeters long, emerging from erect, leafless stems. Growing 5 to 15 centimeters tall with a delicate, glabrous structure, it has distinctive basal leaves that are twice ternately divided into narrow, sharp-pointed linear segments. Its finely dissected leaves create a feathery, intricate appearance with segments radiating from the base in a precise, geometric pattern. The fruit develops up to 4 to 7 centimeters long, bearing small brown seeds with prominently ridged surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinguished by basal leaves, leafless stalks, and small petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open fields, grassland
Elevation: < 800 m
California counties: Tuolumne, Tulare, Butte, Amador, Calaveras, Kern, Fresno, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Merced, Tehama, Madera, Yuba, Mariposa, Placer, Sutter, Santa Clara, Solano, El Dorado, Glenn, Mendocino, Nevada, Stanislaus, Yolo, Shasta, Colusa, Napa, Lake, Monterey
Bloom period
Eschscholzia lobbii blooms Mar-Apr.
How to tell it apart
vs Papaver: Eschscholzia sepals form pointed cap that pops off; Papaver has 2 separate hairy sepals.; vs Artemisia: Eschscholzia has 4-petaled flowers; Artemisia has tiny clustered flower heads, no petals.; vs Dendromecon: Eschscholzia is herbaceous annual; Dendromecon is woody shrub with undivided leaves.; vs Afropapaver: Eschscholzia has cup-shaped receptacle; Afropapaver has flat receptacle.; vs Camissoniopsis: Eschscholzia has numerous stamens; Camissoniopsis has exactly 8 stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eschscholzia lobbii native to California?
Yes. Eschscholzia lobbii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eschscholzia lobbii bloom?
Eschscholzia lobbii blooms Mar-Apr.
Where in California does Eschscholzia lobbii grow?
Eschscholzia lobbii occurs in Tuolumne, Tulare, Butte, Amador, Calaveras, Kern, Fresno, Sacramento and other counties, at elevations of < 800 m.
What plant family does Eschscholzia lobbii belong to?
Eschscholzia lobbii is in the Papaveraceae family, genus Eschscholzia.
What habitat does Eschscholzia lobbii grow in?
Eschscholzia lobbii grows in Open fields, grassland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eschscholzia mexicana — Desert california poppy
- Eschscholzia minutiflora — Coville s poppy
- Eschscholzia minutiflora subsp. covillei — Coville's poppy
- Eschscholzia minutiflora subsp. minutiflora — Pygmy poppy
- Eschscholzia minutiflora subsp. twisselmannii — Red rock poppy
- Eschscholzia papastillii — Mojave poppy
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.