R. W. Smith

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A Eurasian species of roadsides, dumps, railroads, and near gardens. First collected in 1870 in Washtenaw Co.

The red petals are large, generally 2.5–4 cm long and broader than long. A similar species is P. dubium L., not yet collected as a weed in Michigan. It has smaller flowers, elongate, narrowly obovate fruit (at least twice as long as broad), and appressed hairs on the peduncles. In P. rhoeas, the fruit is only slightly if at all longer than broad and the stiff hairs of the peduncles spread at right angles. Intermediate plants (e.g., with very large flowers but appressed hairs on peduncles), as from Berrien, Emmet, and Gratiot Cos., are presumably hybrids [P. ×strigosum (Boenn.) Schur] though they may be only forms of P. rhoeas; such plants would add Berrien and Gratiot Cos. to the map.

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