Meconopsis aculeata Royle

Meconopsis species are erect, annual or perennial herbs, monocarpic or polycarpic with yellow fluid. Stem scapose or leafy, simple or branched, often woody at the base. Leaves mostly radical, some cauline, bipinnatifid or pinnatipartite, rarely palmatifid, margin entire, shortly petiolate to sessile. Inflorescence panicle, raceme, axillary cymules or pseudoumbellate. Flowers bisexual, axillary or terminal on scapose stems, pale blue to purple, red, pink, actinomorphic, showing bilateral symmetry, pedicellate, Sepals 2, ovate, elliptic, caducous, petals 4 sometimes 5-9, obovate, with showy colors. Stamens many, filaments filiform, linear, with showy colors as petals. Ovary obovoid-ellipsoid or subglobose, unilocular, sessile, ovules few to many, style slender, distinct, stigmas 2-12, free or confluent on decurrent lobes. Fruits capsules, cylindric to subglobose, ellipsoid-obovoid, dehiscing by interplacental valves in upper apex part, rarely at the base. Seeds many subreniform, oblong-ellipsoid, usually papillose, rugose or smooth.

Meconopsis species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: July-October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., dispersal by wind, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Monocarpic erect, prickly herbs, with yellow fluid, about 40-60 cm tall. Stem simple or branched at the base, leafy throughout, covered with yellow or golden yellow color bristles, about 2-7 mm long. Tap roots narrow elongated or fusiform, about 10-14 cm long. Basal cauline leaves, variable, irregularly 1-2 pinnatipartite rarely bipinnatipartite, about 5-25 x 2-5 cm across, margin ciliate, apex obtuse, broadly incised on the lower basal segments, bristle hairs on both sides, above and beneath, petiole widened at the base, bristly, about 4-12 cm long, upper cauline leaves smaller, segments oblong, obovate to triangular, margin ciliate, apex obtuse, petiole sessile. Inflorescence raceme with about 10-20 flowers, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, axillary or terminal, about 6-8 cm across, pale blue to purple, red, pink, actinomorphic, showing bilateral symmetry, pedicels slender, spiny, about 1-15 cm long, Sepals 2, ovate-orbicular, spiny, about 1-2 cm long, caducous, petals 4, rarely 6, obovate, apex rounded or obtuse, blue, purple, red, margin entire, about 3-4 x 3-4 cm across. Stamens numerous, filaments filiform, linear, with showy colors as petals, about 0.5-1 cm long, anthers golden yellow, basifixed, about 1-1.5 mm long. Ovary obovoid-ellipsoid or subglobose, unilocular, densely spiny, style slender, distinct or conspicuous, stigmas capitates, free or confluent on decurrent lobes, swollen at the base, about 4-10 mm long. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid-obovoid, about 10-15 mm long, dehiscing by 4-6 interplacental valves in upper apex part, rarely at the base. Seeds many, subreniform, oblong-ellipsoid, usually papillose, about 1 mm long.

Meconopsis species are susceptible to insect pests and rusts.

Rocky mountain slopes and valleys of temperate Western Himalayas, altitude 2500-4700 m.

Critically Endangered (FRLHT, ENVIS) / Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated as ornamental. Root used in Tibetan medicine for treating inflammation from fractures and pain of legs and ribs. Used in folk medicine.