Tap. 8619. 
-MECONOPSIS Prarru. 
Western China. 
Mecoyopsis, Vig.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 52; Prantl & 
Kiindig in Engl. ¢ Prantl, Planzenfam. vol. iii. pars 2, p. 141, 
Meconopsis (§ Eumeconopsis) Prattii, Prain in Bot. Mag. sub t. 8568 
[nomen]; Kew Bull. 1915, p. 148; species e grege Aculeatarum ad M. 
sinuatam, Prain, proxime accedens, a qua tamen foliis subintegris petalisque 
numerosioribus differt, 
Herba monocarpica; caulis simplex scapiformis, 8°5-7°5 dm. altus, aculeatus, 
Folia radicalia rosulata demum evanida; caulina alterna, utrinque aculeis 
simplicibus stramineis induta, lanceolata, margine subintegra, apice acuta, 
basi in petiolum latiorem angustata, virida subtus pallidiora; lamina 
8-14 cm. longa, 2-2°5 em. lata; petioli inferiores 4-6 cm. longi, gradatim 
breviores. lores in cymas elongatas racemiformes dispositi; pedicelli 
saepissime 1-2 cm., rarissime 3-4 cm. longi, aculeati, saepissime bracteati ; 
bracteae foliis conformes nisi minores sessilesque. Sepala 2, oblongo- 
ovata, 1°5 cm. longa, extra densius aculeata. Petala 6-8, clare coerulea 
nonnunquam purpureo suffusa vel raro pallide purpurea, oblonga, obtusa, 
2°25-2°5 em. longa, 1°75-2 em. lata. Stamina indefinita, pluri-seriata ; 
filamenta glabra, discreta, intense coeruleae; antherae oblongae, albidae. 
Ovariwm e carpellis 4 compositum, ovoideum, 5-6 mm. longum; stylus 
glaber, 4 mm. longus; stigma pallide viride. Capsula oblonga, 1°25 em. 
longa, in toro explanato parum incrassato insidens.—WM. sinuata, var. 
Prativ, Prain in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. lxiv. pars 2, p. 314. M. rudis, 
Prain in Ann. Bot. vol. xx. p. 847 partim et quoad spp. Szechuan. tantum ; 
Farrer in Gard. Chron. 1914, vol. lvi. p. 318. M. Wardii, Hort.; 
Ward, Land of the Blue Poppy, pp. 138, 189; Farrer in Gard. Chron. 1915, 
vol. lvii. p. 110 [nomen]. M. racemosa, Fedde in Pflanzenr. IV. 104, 
p. 258, saltem in parte: vix Maxim.—D. Pram. 
Within the genus Meconopsis, the Aculeatae form a 
_ compact group of six species differing from the others in 
being armed with pungent prickles. Three of the six 
have already been figured in this work: M. aculeata, 
Royle, at t. 5456; M. latifolia, Prain, at first treated as 
a variety of M. sinuata, Prain, but now known to be a 
distinct species, at t. 8223; and MM. rudis, Prain, at 
t. 8568. The species now figured as M. Prattii was 
originally included in M. sinuata, but the accession of 
fuller material having shown that this position for the 
plant was unsatisfactory, it was transferred to M. rudis to 
which it is more nearly allied. This position in turn has 
Juty, 1915. 
