Meconopsis
Encyclopedia
Meconopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae
. The species have attractive flowers and have two distinct ranges. A single species, Meconopsis cambrica (Welsh poppy
), is indigenous to England, Wales, Ireland, and the fringes of Western Europe
. The other 40 or so (depending on classification) species are found in the Himalayas
. Within the Himalayan types there is much debate as to what constitutes a particular species as many readily hybridise with each other and produce viable seed. It is likely that some individually-named species are in fact a single species but with an under-appreciated morphological diversity.
A large proportion of species are monocarpic
and as such are notoriously difficult to maintain in cultivation.
Meconopsis grandis, nicknamed the Blue Poppy (although it is only poppy-like), is the national flower of Bhutan
. In the late spring of 1922, a British Himalayan expedition, led by legendary mountaineer George Leigh Mallory, discovered the plant on their failed attempt to reach the summit of the then-unconquered Mount Everest. The flowers were introduced to much excitement at the Royal Horticultural Society's spring show of 1926. However, since they are difficult to grow, the species has become fabled over the decades. In 2009, horticulturalist and author Bill Terry
published his "gardening memoir", Blue Heaven, about the plant.
In June 2007, Hale Books published the novel "Dreams of the Blue Poppy" by English author Angela Locke. The book's central theme concerns a sickly child who dreams of finding the fabled plant and ends up on a journey of both personal and botanical discovery to the Indian Himalaya. http://www.halebooks.com/display.asp?K=9780709082828&sf1=eh_cat_class&st1=B100&pge=hale&ds=Crime&m=21&dc=72
is sometimes considered a weed, albeit a handsome one, due to its vigorous self-seeding. It comes as a surprise to many that poppies are available in shades of blue. These plants are available in a variety of strong colours, including blue, red, orange, purple, white and yellow depending on species and cultivar.
Papaveraceae
Papaveraceae, informally known as the poppy family, are an economically important family of 44 genera and approximately 770 species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates, but almost unknown in the tropics...
. The species have attractive flowers and have two distinct ranges. A single species, Meconopsis cambrica (Welsh poppy
Welsh poppy
The Welsh poppy is a perennial plant of the family Papaveraceae. Its habitat is damp, shady places on rocky ground, and it is native to south-western England, Wales, Ireland and Western Europe. In its most western locations, it is increasingly found on more open ground with less cover.It has...
), is indigenous to England, Wales, Ireland, and the fringes of Western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The other 40 or so (depending on classification) species are found in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. Within the Himalayan types there is much debate as to what constitutes a particular species as many readily hybridise with each other and produce viable seed. It is likely that some individually-named species are in fact a single species but with an under-appreciated morphological diversity.
A large proportion of species are monocarpic
Monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and semelparous. The term was first used by Alphonse de Candolle....
and as such are notoriously difficult to maintain in cultivation.
Meconopsis grandis, nicknamed the Blue Poppy (although it is only poppy-like), is the national flower of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. In the late spring of 1922, a British Himalayan expedition, led by legendary mountaineer George Leigh Mallory, discovered the plant on their failed attempt to reach the summit of the then-unconquered Mount Everest. The flowers were introduced to much excitement at the Royal Horticultural Society's spring show of 1926. However, since they are difficult to grow, the species has become fabled over the decades. In 2009, horticulturalist and author Bill Terry
Bill Terry (author)
Since 1994, Bill Terry has lived on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, with his wife, Rosemary, pursuing a lifelong ambition to create the perfect garden. Bill specializes in plant propagation and has taught this subject in the Capilano University Continuing Education program. He also lectures...
published his "gardening memoir", Blue Heaven, about the plant.
In June 2007, Hale Books published the novel "Dreams of the Blue Poppy" by English author Angela Locke. The book's central theme concerns a sickly child who dreams of finding the fabled plant and ends up on a journey of both personal and botanical discovery to the Indian Himalaya. http://www.halebooks.com/display.asp?K=9780709082828&sf1=eh_cat_class&st1=B100&pge=hale&ds=Crime&m=21&dc=72
Cultivation
Himalayan varieties have the reputation for being difficult to grow from seed, but when germinating new plants, using fresh seeds will help. On the other hand, the Welsh poppyPoppy
A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
is sometimes considered a weed, albeit a handsome one, due to its vigorous self-seeding. It comes as a surprise to many that poppies are available in shades of blue. These plants are available in a variety of strong colours, including blue, red, orange, purple, white and yellow depending on species and cultivar.
Sources and references
- Meconopsis.org specialized website - includes further links
- Meconopsis World - A Visual Reference - identification guide to species using photographs of wild plants