Plantidote of the Day 2012-03-19

Mystery plant

For the moment, I'm calling this "Embarrassment plant." It's very common here, but I cannot remember its name. I even waited a couple weeks after shooting it, certain that the name would pop into my brain one night at about 4 am. No such luck. Time to admit defeat and ask for help.

This is a good-sized bushy plant, about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, in bloom now in Zone 10 (southern California). The leaves are soft and velvety. The flowers are about 3-4" in diameter. They remind me of a small, purple version of matilija poppies, but only because they appear to be made of crinkled up paper. Someone, anyone -- please put me out of my misery and tell me what this is. There's a hat tip waiting for the right answer!!

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Readers, please send twig (twig4now@gmail.com) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chanterelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the comments.

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