Meconella oregana
Oregon meconella, Oregon Meconella
(c) J Straka, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Papaveraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Meconella oregana (Oregon meconella) is a native California herb in the Papaveraceae family.
Oregon meconella is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in the central Coast Ranges at Fort Ord and San Francisco Bay Area in the Berkeley Hills and Mount Hamilton, inhabiting shaded canyons at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces white to pale flowers approximately 1 to 5 millimeters long with 4 to 6 stamens. Growing with slender stems 2 to 16 centimeters tall, it forms a compact, low-growing habit. Its leaves are small, measuring 3 to 18 millimeters long, and range from entire to minutely toothed. The plant produces elongated fruits 20 to 30 millimeters long, containing tiny obovate-reniform seeds less than 1 millimeter in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species. Key differentiator is stamen count: 4-6 vs 12-16 in M. californica
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shaded canyons
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Contra Costa
Outside California: southern Oregon, Washington
Bloom period
Meconella oregana blooms Mar-May.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Hesperomecon: Meconella is completely smooth; Hesperomecon has conspicuous bristly hairs.; vs Platystemon: Meconella has smooth, spoon-shaped leaves on stalks; Platystemon is hairy throughout.; vs Canbya: Meconella has spoon-shaped leaves on stalks; Canbya has stalkless fleshy leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Meconella oregana native to California?
Yes. Meconella oregana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Meconella oregana bloom?
Meconella oregana blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Meconella oregana grow?
Meconella oregana occurs in Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Contra Costa, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Meconella oregana belong to?
Meconella oregana is in the Papaveraceae family, genus Meconella.
Is Meconella oregana rare or endangered?
Meconella oregana carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.