© 2004-2010 The Meconopsis Group
The Meconopsis Group
The species of Meconopsis
(Photographs mostly taken in the wild)
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(The enlarged picture will open in a new window in which pictures can often be further enlarged by dragging the bottom right corner of the window and/or by hovering over the picture and using the expand/magnify button which appears, depending on your browser.) - George Taylor's Classification of Meconopsis species may be helpful.
- Figures in parentheses in the text refer to the pictures. For details of the photographers see Contributors.
Meconopsis grandis
Meconopsis grandis is a member of Series Grandes. (See Classification) It is a clump-forming herbaceous, polycarpic perennial, around 60cm tall at flowering. It grows in exposed stony ground, amongst short shrubs, on the margins of stream beds, in yak pastures and in open woodland at altitudes from 3000 - 5000m (10,000 - 16,500ft). It has a wide distribution along the Himalayan range from Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, western Arunachal Pradesh and south-central Tibet. (Map)
M. grandis became known in Europe when it was discovered towards the end of the 19th century in Sikkim. A little later it was brought into cultivation in Britain and it became well established at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh by the early 1900s. But the true species is now comparatively rare in gardens. Hybrids, clearly involving M.grandis in their parentage, are much more commonly grown. These hybrids, together with M baileyi, form the majority of the "big perennial blue poppies" in gardens. (See Plant Portaits Section 1, Big perennial blue poppies in cultivation.) M grandis is often confused with the hybrids and with M. baileyi and M. simplicifolia. A supplementary page Distinguishing M. grandis from M. baileyi and M. simplicifolia gives guidance on the differences. There is also more information and discussion on M. grandis in cultivation on the following supplementary pages: Background and historical notes, "Single-headed blue". A page on other variants in cultivation is under development.
M. grandis is a very variable species, this variability doubtless reflecting its wide distribution. Its taxonomy is currently undergoing revision by Chris Grey-Wilson. Three sub-species will probably be established, one from the far west of Nepal, the second centred around east Nepal and the third in east Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.
Morphological variations will be used in defining the sub-species. These variations include features such as the overall shape of the leaves, together with the presence or absence of teeth on their margins, the conformation of the flowering stems (peduncles) and pedicels, and the shape of the fruit capsules which may or may not have a covering of bristles.. Flower colour varies widely - from deep pure blue, sky-blue, mauvy-blues to purples. The reason(s) for colour variation is not really understood but it does not seem to correlate with geographical distribution. (See Colour range.) Many of these features, and others, may be appreciated by examining the pictures below.
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Growing amongst shrublets on N, N & S side, respectively, of Topke Gola, Jaljale Himal, E Nepal
At 4000-4200m, early to late June 1990
Plant heights 50-120cm.
Photographer: Toshio Yoshida
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Growing amongst rocks covered with mosses and shrublets.
4. S of Dudhkund, Solu, E Nepal 3950m 19th June 1989
5. Protruding from rocks on a stony slope, Thudam ,
Lumbasamba Himal, E Nepal 4100m , 6th July 1990
6. As for 4 but photographed 3 days later.
Photographer: Toshio Yoshida
Some points to notice in the pictures above: for some, long, slender leaves with near entire margins, flowering stems with cauline leaves, including false whorls, number of flowers (one or more) per false whorl, number of petals in the flowers, relative length of the peduncle and the pedicel.
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7. In E Nepal.
Points to note: slender entire leaves, well developed false whorl leaves, long pedicel relative to the peduncle, single flower per false whorl, six petals.
Photographer: George Smith
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8 & 9. In Lumba Samba Kharka, E Nepal
Points to note (and compare with 5) above): serrate leaves and more than one flower per flowering stem, length of peduncle relative to pedicel.
Photographer: Mike Hirst
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10-13, & 14 (below). Growing on the Arunachal Pradesh/Bhutan border, not far from where seed (M. grandis GS600) was collected by George Sherriff in 1934.
Points to note: wide leaves with serrate margins, leafy peduncle, several flowers in each false whorl, flowers with 4 petals, short pedicel (compare, for example, with 7)
Photographer: Anne Chambers, 2004
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15. Grown in cultivation -Second generation from seed collected from the same area as !0 -13.
Photographer Evelyn Stevens
16. Grown in cultivation -Second generation from seed collected from the same area as !0 -13.
Photographer Evelyn Stevens
17. Photograph provided by Mani Shrestha, taken in Nepal. Precise location is uncertain, including whether or not it is a cultivated plant...
18. Photograph provided by Mani Shrestha, taken in Nepal. Precise location uncertain, but the plants are almost certainly being cultivated.