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Merced River Canyon Superbloom
The poppies that bloom so profusely in the Merced River Canyon are Tufted Poppies (Eschscholzia caespitosa). California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the state flower, also blooms in the area, but usually later in the spring and in lesser numbers. They look very similar; the easiest way to distinguish them is probably by the little discs just under the flower that California Poppies have but Tufted Poppies lack.