P L A T E 2.
2. MECONOPSIS QEáNDis Frain h Journ. Äs. Soc. Beug. Ixiv. 2. 320 (1896).
A tal!, aoftly hairy Lerb w i t h a stout rootstock clothed with sheaths, its neck
v i l l o u s ; radicaWeam tufted, numerous, ovate-lanceolate, blades coarsely serrate, 9—18 cm.
long, and tapering into petioles 15—24 cm. l o n g ; stem 4 - Ó - 9 dm. high, l e a f y , cauline
leaves like radical but short-petiolcd or sessile passing into bracts, the lower i—3
scattered, the upper 3—5 collected in a whorl, the lowest shortly petioled, vacant, at
times a b s e n t ; the n e s t 1—2 with axillary flower-buds; IracU of the whorl subequal,
12—15 cm. long, 6—8 cm. wide, with I—3 axillary flowers; main-axis terminating
i n a 1-fld. scape extending 15—45 cm. beyond whorl ; huis 4 cm., flowers 12 cui.
i n diam. ; sepali 2, hb-sute ; petals deep-blue, 5—9, imbricate ; stamens numerous
ovary subcylindric, sparingly covered with harsh, spreading, ultimately subdeciduous
bristles, placentas usually 5, s l i g h t l y intruded ; s t y l e about one-third the length of ovary
; linear, oblong, 6 cm. long ; seeds rugose.
SIKKIM: Jongrl on tue Nepal Frontier, at 10—13,000 f t . ; Kinfs Collectors! Watt
n. 5435 ! G. A. Camnie !
This is one of the finest of the Indian species of Meconopsis ; it is evidently, in
spite of its great difference in habit, closely related to M. simplicifolia Walp. {Rep.
i . 110; Book. f . III. Him. PI. t. 8), with which it agrees in having lufted, coarsely
dentate radical leaves and of which it has exactly the capsules and the seeds. It is
also nearly related to Meonopsis integrifoKa Franch. {Bull. Soc. Bo I. Fr. xxxiii. 389)
which agrees with M. grandis in having a stem that, though shorter, has also 1—2
leaves below and a whorl of 5—8 bracts with 2—3 axillary as well as a terminal
flower above, but which differs in having all the leaves entire and in having yellow
petals.
When first describing this species the writer stated that it "seems confined to
the district of Jongri, but is v e i y plentiful there." Mr. G. A. Gammie has very
k i u d l y written to say that this is so, but that even in Jongri it is only a cultivated
plant, not grown, however, for its beauty but for the oil that is obtained by expression
f r om its seeds. The inhabitants of Jongri say that the plant itself was brought thither
f r om Nepal.
When it was first described the largest number of petals found in a single
flower had been seven; in the flower figured, however, which is from a more recent
gathering, nine were present.
PLATE 2.—Meconopsis grandis Praia. I, base of plaat with radical leayas ; 2, upper portion
of stem with bracts, buds aod opened teiminal flower; 3, young f r u i t ; i, ripe capsule,-1>/ natural
sir« 5, stamens ; 6, ovary, out transversely; 7, eeeda,-enia/'yerf. Specimen from Jongri, in Western
Sikkim, at 12,000 feet above sea-level.
D. P.
P L A T E 3.
3. MECONOPSIS PKIMULINA Prain in Journ. As. Soc. Bcng. Ixiv. 2. 319 (1896).
Natural order Papaverace®.
A small, almost glabrous herb with a fusiform rootstock 3—10 cm, long, its neck
clothed with old sheaths; stoms short, leafy at the base o n l y ; leaves linear-oblong,
entire, acute, 4—7 cm. long, 7 mm. wide, radical few, spathulato, all narrowed into
short petioles and very sparsely strigose on both surfaces ; flowers pendulous, dark
violet-purple, on a tornjinal scape 18 cm. long and one or two axillary lateral scapes
8—10 cm. long ; sepals 2, glabroios, 1'25 cm. long; petals 6—8, imbricate, narrowly ovato
w i t h a distinct claw, 2 cm. long, "To—1-25 cat. wide, the inner narrower; stametiS
about 50 ; filaaients of the outer series sometimes united into phyllouies with antheriferous
fringe, when free filiform, as long as the ovary, anthers orbicular-ovate, golden,
y e l l o w ; ovary glabi-ous, 4-carpened, narrowly ovate, 12 mm. long, 5 mm. wide,
tapering into a sleudor style one-third as l o n g ; placentas intruded and passing up
the substance of the style as two pairs of approximated vascular traces each beaiing
at the base of the stylo a projecting papilla inclined laterally so that the 4 papillae
form 2 pairs alternating with the placental traces and style-lobes and opposite the clefts
of the 2-partIte stigma with oblong plano-convex lubes, the outer convex surfacea
of each pair stigmatic.
EASTKKK HIMALAYA ; Bootan, at Do lep ; Chumbi, at Sham-chen; Collectors of the
Cahutla Botanic Garden I
This species is most nearly related to Meconopsis Ifenrici Franch. {Journ, de
Bolanique v. 19), a plant from Szechuen with much the same habit and with tho
same tendency to cohesion of tho stamens of the outer whorl but with a depressed
globose ovary, stngose in its upper half, shorter than its style, and without the
peculiar epaulettes characteristic of the ovary of M. primulina.
PLATE 3.—Meconopsis primulina Prain. 1, plant with bud, opened flower and flower -witli
periantii fallea,—o/ natural use; 2, si amen of inner row; 3, phalanx of stamens of outer row ; 4
young fruit ; 5, another young fruit, out transversely ; 6, youn^ s e e d , — . enlarged; 7, ovule,—
Much enlarged. Specimen from Sham-chen, in Chumbi, probable elevation 11—12,000 feet above
P L A T E 4.
i . MECONOPSIS BELLA Prain in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. Ixiii. 2. 8 2 (1894) and Ixiv
2. 321 (1896).
Natural order Papaverace».
A dwarf, perennial, glabrous or sparingly setulose herb with a stout rhizome 12 cm
long, slightly branched below, its neck exserted 2 cm. or more and densely sheathed
with old leaf-bases; leaxes all radical, petioles 6—10 cm. long, widening towards the
base into a membranous sheath, blades 2-5 cm. long, 1 - 1 - 5 cm. wide, ovate-lanceolate,
2 — 3 - j u g a t e l y unequally pinnatisect, the segments 3-partite with ovato-obtuse lobules
ANN. BOY. BÜT. GAKD. CALC., VOL. I X.