Meconopsis merakensis var. albolutea T. Yoshida, R. Yangzom & D. G. Long, The Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, No. 14 (2017);
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Unid from Tawang: TQ-Tawang-06 :  Attachments (3). 14 posts by 4 authors.

A Meconopsis species found in Tawang region, Arunachal Pradesh, around 4000 m elevation.
The leaves appear to be simple and unlobed. Found flowering in June end.
Please identify


You got fantastic collection from Arunachal Pradesh. Kindly put your Trip report of FOI site so that we can refer it in future..
I think, Meconopsis superba  also has white coloured flowers, please check for M.superba..


Thanks for the feedback. Most of the yellow-flowered Meconopsis species often also have white flowers. The leaves of our plant don’t seem to quite agree with those of Meconopsis superba. However, I am looking at it in more detail.


Meconopsis species in efi.


I agree with Tabish Ji.

This is not M. superba, for its leaves, as … mentioned and also the stigma is not deep purple.
Of all species in Flora of British India and in Flowers of the Himalaya, i think, it can only be M. horridula H. f. & Thomson –

I had also explored Meconopsis horridula, but was not satisfied. For example, Flora of China says, leaves are all basal in M. horridula, but in our plant there are at least lower stem leaves clearly visible. However, if, as the first link posted by  … says, there are many variants clubbed together as M. horridula, then our plant may also fall in that category. I too ran out of species which match our plant. Is there any other source which says that M. horridula can have stem leaves? Flowers of the Himalaya doesn’t say that all leaves are basal. It says flowers are borne on often leafless stems.
I tend to agree with … and Meconopsis horridula, but would like opinion from more people.


I have noted the FoC info, on leaves, yesterday while suggesting the ID.
Flora of British India, vol1, p 118; has a note, with double asterisk, at the end of Meconopsis horridula H. f. & T. -** Stems leafy, Flowers racemed or panicled.


Here is the link of the page – http://ia700603.us.archive.org/BookReader/168_w292


Extremely sorry for goof up. Misread the ID keys in FBI, will have to start afresh, will let you know if i find any.


Yes, leafy stems is the category for the species following it. M. horridula and M. simplicifolia fall in the category of “radical scape”.


Presently i am not satisfied with my findings. I have already stated that i misread Hooker. Yet, i still think this is M. horridula, maybe horridula complex/group. Because i have no other option.
This page gives horridula group – http://www.meconopsisworld.com/M_horridula_species_M.html.
In this group M. prattii (FoC) have cauline leaves. But flowers in M. prattii are different. There is a note at the end of M. prattii (FoC) page, info on M. prainiana (blue or pale yellow flower).
M. praniana at – http://www.jansalpines.com/gallery/itemId=2810 and
http://meconopsisworld.meconopsis-prainiana-wild.html.
This is the end of my limit. I am looking forward to know correct ID from others.

Christopher Grey-Wilson is writing a new monograph on Meconopsis due to be published next year. I have to say I am not too happy with some of his ideas. There is a Japanese photographer /explorer called Toshio Yoshida who suddenly is also an expert! They have split the group of plants that used to be M. horridula up into at least 9 new species. They do not seem to understand that this group of plants shows huge variation over its range in China and the Himalayas. The very high altitude plants do not have a flowering raceme but are scapose. All the rest have a flowering raceme and as far as I am aware they all have stem leaves that look just like yours. I have friends who travelled recently in Arunachal Pradesh and they found lots of white flowered Meconopsis horridula that are just like yours and there are pictures on my website of these that I suspect you saw. It would be nice to use one of your pictures on my website to show the plants in the Twang district. I might add that friends who found a Meconopsis horridula type in Bhutan (This form they called M. racemosa) that was scapose at 5,000m. but became a proper raceme as they same down below about 5,000 m. Hope this helps a bit and thank you so much for getting in touch


Meconopsis merakensis var. albolutea as per FOI and as per DANCING BUTTERFLIES OF THE EAST HIMALAYAS – NEW MECONOPSIS SPECIES FROM EAST BHUTAN, ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND SOUTH TIBET The Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, No. 14- Toshio Yoshida, Rinchen Yangzom & David Long (2017).

I wonder if Meconopsis merakensis var. albolutea is a natural hybrid of Meconopsis horridula with another racemose bearing Meconopsis.



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References:
DANCING BUTTERFLIES OF THE EAST HIMALAYAS – NEW MECONOPSIS SPECIES FROM EAST BHUTAN, ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND SOUTH TIBET The Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, No. 14- Toshio Yoshida, Rinchen Yangzom & David Long (2017).

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