Meconopsis simplicifolia (D. Don) Walp., Repert. Bot. Syst. 1: 110 1842. (syn: Meconopsis nyingchiensis L.H.Zhou; Meconopsis simplicifolia var. baileyi Kingdon-Ward; Meconopsis uniflora Gumbleton; Papaver nyingchiense (L.H.Zhou) Christenh. & Byng; Papaver simplicifolium D.Don; Polychaetia scapigera Wall.; Stylophorum simplicifolium (D.Don) Spreng.);  

C-Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Tibet as per Catalogue of Life;

Common name: Common Blue Poppy


Polycarpic or monocarpic erect herbs, with yellow fluid, about 25-70 cm tall. Stem simple, clothed with persistent leafy-sheaths at base, covered with pale brown color bristles throughout, about 2-5 mm long. Tap roots stout, slender, elongated. Leaves all basal in rosette, spathulate-oblanceolate, lanceolate-elliptic to oblong, about 4-16 x 1-3.5 cm across, base cuneate or narrow deccurent, margin ciliate, entire or sparingly sinuately lobed, apex obtuse or rounded, weak bristle hairs on both sides, above and beneath, petiole linear, rufous bristly, about 2-20 cm long, upper cauline leaves absent. Flowers bisexual, terminal, solitary, arising singly from the basal pedicels, about 4-8 cm across, pale blue to purple, pedicels usually 1-2 from each rosette, slender, densely covered with bristly weak hairs, about 5-60 cm long, Sepals 2, broadly oblong, apex obtuse, densely bristly, about 2-2.5 x 1-1.2 cm across, petals 5-9, obovate, crenulate, apex rounded or obtuse, blue, purple, about 2.5-5 x 1.5-3 cm across. Stamens numerous, filaments filiform, linear, with bluish showy colors, about 0.8-2 cm long, anthers yellow, basifixed, about 2 mm long. Ovary oblong-ellipsoid, unilocular, densely bristly, style slender, distinct or conspicuous, about 3-10 mm long, stigmas capitates or clavate, free or confluent on decurrent 2-9 lobed. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid-oblong, glabrous or bristly about 3-6 cm long, dehiscing by 4-9 interplacental valves in upper apex part, rarely at the base. Seeds many, reniform, ovoid-ellipsoid, usually papillose, about 3 mm long.

Along streams, grasslands and rocky places of Alpine Eastern Himalayas, altitude 3050-5000 m.
(Attributions- Ganeshaiah, K. N., UAS, Bangalore, India.; Kailash, B. R., ATREE, Bangalore, India.; Royal Norwegian Embassy grants. Indian Bioresource Information Network (IBIN), Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi as per India Biodiversity Portal)

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Meconopsis simplicifolia from Sikkim : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)

Meconopsis simplicifolia found beyond Tsomgo lake, Sikkim.
Found flowering in June.


 

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