Meconopsis betonicifolia Franch.

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: July-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.

Monocarpic or polycarpic erect herbs, with yellow fluid, about 90-150 cm tall. Stem simple, erect, glabrous or with scattered rufous hairs, simple leafy throughout, covered with membranous leaf sheaths. Tap roots short. Basal cauline leaves, lanceolate-ovate to oblong, about 10-16 x 5-7 cm across, base truncate or auriculate, margin ciliate and sparingly crenate, apex obtuse to subacute, sparsely hairy on both sides, above and beneath, lateral veins, petiole widened at the base, bristly, about 4-20 cm long, upper cauline leaves smaller, segments oblong-lanceolate, margin ciliate, apex obtuse, petiole sessile. Flowers bisexual, axillary, about 6-8 cm across, pale blue to purple, reddish, actinomorphic, showing bilateral symmetry, pedicels slender, rufous hairy, about 25-30 cm long, Sepals 2, ovate-oblong, hairy, about 1-2 cm long, caducous, petals 4-6, broadly obovate, apex rounded or obtuse, slightly sinuate lobed, blue, purple, reddish, margin entire, about 4-5 x 4-5 cm across. Stamens numerous, yellow, filaments filiform, linear, about 0.5-1 cm long, anthers deep or golden yellow, basifixed, about 1-1.5 mm long. Ovary oblong-ellipsoid, unilocular, covered with rufous bristles, style slender, green, distinct or conspicuous, about 1 cm long, stigmas green capitate, free or confluent on decurrent lobes, about 4-7 lobed. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid-obong, about 10-15 mm long, are dehiscing by 4-7 interplacental valves. Seeds many, reniform, oblong-spherical, with longitudinal rows of short pits.

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

Rocky slopes of Alpine Eastern Himalayas, altitude 3000-4000 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated as ornamental.