Tas. 8568. 
MECONOPSIS ruvupis. 
Western China. 
Meconopsis, Vig.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol..i. p. 52; Prantl é 
Kiindig in Engl. € Prantl, Pflanzenfam., vol. iii. pars 2, p. 141. 
Meconopsis (§ Eumeconopsis) rudis, Prain in Ann. Bot. vol. xx. p. 347, syn. 
M. sinuata var. Prattii excludend.; species e grege Aculeatarum M. 
horridulae, Hook. f. et Thoms., proxime accedens, a qua tamen aculeis 
coloratis nec stramineis, floribus clare nec intense coeruleis, toro magis 
ampliato differt. 
Herba monocarpica; caulis simplex scapiformis 3:5-7°5 dm. altus, aculeatus. 
Folia radicalia primum rosulata demum evanida; caulina alterna, utrinque 
aculeis simplicibus saltem basi sed saepe omnino purpureo tinctis induta, 
oblongo-lanceolata, margine subintegra vel parum obtuse dentata, apice 
obtusa vel acuta, basi in petiolum latiorem attenuata, supra pallide viridia 
subtus glaucescentia; lamina 8-14 cm. longa, 2°5-4 cm. lata; petioli 
inferiores 8-4 cm. longi, gradatim breviores. lores in cymas racemiformes 
dispositi; pedicelli 2-6 cm. longi, aculeati, saepissime bracteati; bracteae 
foliis conformes sed minores sessilesque. Sepala 2, ovata, 1'5 cm, longa, 
extra parce aculeata. Petala 6-8, clare. coerulea nonnunquam purpureo 
suffusa vel raro pallide purpurea, ovato-oblonga, obtusa, 2°75—4 cm. longa, 
9-5-3'25 cm. lata. Stamina indefinita, pluri-seriata; filamenta glabra, 
discreta, coerulea; antherae oblongae, luteae. Ovariwm e carpellis 4 
compositum, ovoideum vel subglobosum, 6-8 mm. longum, dense 
aculeatum; stylus glaber, 3 mm. longus; stigma coloratum, pallide luteum. 
Capsula subglobosa vel oblonga, 1°25-1°5 cm. longa, in toro explanato 
incrassato 5 mm. lato insidens.—M. racemosa, Franch., Bull. Soo. Fr. 
vol. xxxiii. p. 890, et Pl. Delavay. p. 41; nec Maxim. M. horridula, var. 
rudis, Prain in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. Ixiv. pars 2, p. 314.—D. Pram, 
The Poppywort here figured is one of the “Blue 
Poppies’ which impart to the stony alpine tracts in 
South-western China at elevations of 11-16,000 feet 
above sea level the curious charm that their near ally 
Meconopsis aculeata, Royle, figured at t. 5456 of this work, 
imparts to the corresponding regions of the North- 
western Himalaya and Kashmir. From that well-known 
species the subject of our plate is, however, readily 
separated because of its entire or nearly entire leaves 
and because the flowers have always more than four 
petals. In colour, however, the flowers of the Western 
species in question and of J. rudis, the one now figured, 
agree very closely; in both species the petals are usually 
Auaust, 1914. 
