Meconopsis grandis

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, 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: June-July/August-September.

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.

Polycarpic erect perennial herbs, with yellow fluid, about 60-150 cm tall. Stem simple, stout narrow, with membranous persistent leaf sheaths, covered with rufous appressed bristles, about 4-8 mm long. Tap roots narrow elongated or fusiform, shortly branched. Leaves mostly basal, elliptic to oblong, oblanceolate-lanceolate, about 8-25 x 2-8 cm across, cuneate the base, margin distantly, irregularly shallow serrate with broad crenations and ciliate, apex obtuse, bristle hairs on both sides, above and beneath, basal leaves petiole widened at the base, bristly, about 10-30 cm long, few upper leaves smaller, petiole sessile. Inflorescence raceme with about 1-3 flowers, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, axillary or terminal, usually solitary, occasionally on lower cauline leaves, about 8-14 cm across, pale blue to purple pedicels slender, bristly, about 10-20 cm long, attaining up to 60 cm long pedicel in fruit, Sepals 2, broadly ovate-oblong, apex obtuse, bristly appressed, about 3 x 3.5 cm across, petals 4, rarely 5, obovate, apex rounded or obtuse, blue, purple, red, margin entire, about 5-8 x 4-6 cm across. Stamens numerous, filaments filiform, linear, whitish, about 1-1.5 cm long, anthers yellow, basifixed, about 2 mm long. Ovary obovoid-ellipsoid or oblong, unilocular, appressed bristly, style slender, distinct or conspicuous, about 0.5-1.5 cm long, stigmas globose, with 4-6 decurrent lobes on the style, swollen at the base, about 4-10 mm long. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid-oblong, glabrous or bristly about 35-45 mm long, dehiscing by 4-6 interplacental valves. Seeds many, reniform.

Meconopsis species are susceptible to insect pests, moulds and rusts.

Rocky slopes and grasslands of Alpine Eastern Himalayas, altitude 3350-4600 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated as an ornamental.