Named after Chamisso

 

Camissonia strigulosa, photographed in the Bodega Dunes on 5 April 2017

The genus, Camissonia, is named after Adelbert von Chamisso — a German botanist who joined Otto von Kotzebue aboard the Rurik on a scientific voyage around the world in 1815-1816.  

Fun fact: When they visited California, Chamisso collected the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and later named it after another scientist on the voyage, Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz.

The species name, strigulosa, is a reference to the short stiff hairs lying flat against the surface of the plant, some of which are visible on the reddish stem in the lower right corner of the picture (they look like a bit of white frosting).

I found several common names for this wildflower.  Which do you like better — Strigose Suncup or Sandy-soil Suncup?