Meconopsis villosa

Meconopsis villosa (Hook.f.) G.Taylor, Gen. Meconopsis 28 1934. (syn: Cathcartia villosa Hook.fil.; Papaver cathcartia Christenh. & Byng);

E-Nepal, India (Darjeeling), Sikkim, Bhutan as per Catalogue of Life;

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Polycarpic erect perennial herbs, with yellow fluid, about 30-60 cm tall. Stem simple or sparingly branched, tomentose with brown color bristles, about 2-5 mm long. Root stocks short, stout, covered with rufous bristly membranous leaf sheaths. Leaves, broadly cordate or orbicular with 3-5 lobed with palmatifid and palmatilobed segments, about 3-12 x 3-11 cm across, base cordate, margin ciliate bluntly or coarsely toothed, tomentose with bristle hairs both above and beneath, lateral veins and midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, basal leaves larger petiolate and becoming smaller and sessile towards the shoots. Inflorescence raceme with about 1-7 flowers, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, axillary or terminal, solitary about 4-8 cm across, yellow, actinomorphic, showing bilateral symmetry, pedicels slender, tomentose, about 2-12 cm long, Sepals 2, ovate-oblong, apex subacute orobtuse, tomentose or bristly, about 1.5-2 cm long, petals 4, obovate-suborbicular, apex rounded or obtuse, yellow, margin entire, about 2.5-3.5 x 3.5-4 cm across. Stamens numerous, filaments filiform, linear, with showy colors as petals, about 0.5-1 cm long, anthers brown or yellow, basifixed, about 2 mm long. Ovary narrow oblong or subglobose, unilocular, glabrous, style slender, distinct or conspicuous, stigma capitate, sessile. Fruits capsules, narrow oblong, about 0.5-9 x 0.5 cm across, dehiscing by 4-7 interplacental valves in upper apex part, rarely at the base. Seeds many, subreniform, dark and usually papillose.
Temperate forests or Alpine Eastern Himalayas, altitude 2750-4250 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 villosa from Sikkim : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)
Meconopsis villosa found beyond Tsomgo lake, Sikkim
Flowering in June

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Beautiful photograph of Meconopsis villosa. Thank you.
It is hard to find this species around Tsomgo; there are some scattered, small populations around Kupup, East Sikkim.

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References:
Catalogue of Life  The Plant List Ver.1.1  IPNI  POWO (Papaver cathcartia Christenh. & Byng) Flowers of India  India Biodiversity Portal  Wikipedia  Plant illustrations  Jelitto Perennial Seed