Wednesday 2 March 2005

Meconopsis rudis - Photos In The Garden

Grown from wild chinese seed. These do hybridise in the wild and the garden with M. prattii and so much garden seed may not be true. Fred Hunt.
Rudis from wild seed collected by V. Holubec as Meconopsis sp. It clearly is this species with large glaucous leaves and raised spine tubercles BUT only about 50% show purple pigment. The seedling leaves are very distinctive compared to other species in the horridula super species. C.Grey-Wilson has suggested that this species has a uniquely twisted style but iit was not apparent in any of more than 50 plants grown from wild seed. Another example of just how varied this group of super species is.

Leaves of plants grown from a Holubec seed collection in China. This clearly fits the newly erected M. rudis. The seedlings are very distinctive with long leaf petioles. About 50 flowered this year and nearly 1/2 showed large glaucous leaves with sparse long spines BUT no purple pigment at base- which is a key characteristic. On the wild pages there are plants without pigment that oherwise fit this species. A typical M. pratti leaf is in the top row.