Also known as Yellow Poppy, Prickly Poppy, Mexican Thistle, Devil's Fig and White Thistle, the Mexican Poppy was first recorded in Australia back in 1845 and is declared a weed in the Northern Territory. A native of Central America, it can now be found throughout Australia.

Whilst found growing in and along sandy rivers and creek beds, it has also been found in disturbed areas around the Alice Springs region, including the MacDonnell Ranges. It can be found in areas where quarried soils and sand are transported to be used in construction or back-filling, overgrazed pastures and roadsides.
 

The leaves are spiny and deeply lobed. The plant having a mottled greyish green appearance. The flowers are a pale yellow to cream colour, consisting of 4-7 petals, in an open poppy appearance. The fruit or seed pod is a spiny football-shaped capsule with pale longitudinal ribs.