1895.] D. Prain — Some additional Papavei^acea?. 313 



that requires, in the writer's opinion, further consideration. It is true that in tho 

 genus Papaver, as at present understood, are included a number of forms nearly 

 allied to P. armenaiacum which have valves that dehisce like Meconopsis valves 

 and have stigmas of the normal Meconopsis type, so that they differ from Meconopsis 

 only in the absence of any style But it does not seem necessary on this account 

 to propose that we should return to the view adopted by Linnaeus as regards the 

 European, and by Don as regards the Himalayan species, and speak of all the 

 Meconopses as Papavers. 



Another point of interest in the genus is the number of petals. This is given 

 in most systematic treatises as 4. In the three species M. cambrica, M. chelidoni- 

 folia, M. Oliveriana, formiug the Chelidonifoliss, this is the case, as it is in the Anomalx 

 (M. heterophylla, M. crassifolia) and in the Bobustse (M. robusta, M. paniculata, 

 M. saperba, M. napaulensis, M. Wallichii) . Among the Aculeatse, M. aculeata and 

 If. sinuata would appear to be always 4-petaled, but with If. horridula the ex- 

 ceptions are quite as frequent as the rule. In M. bella which may have 4 petals 

 we usually find 5 ; while in two groups — the Grandes (M. simplicifolia, M. quintupli- 

 nervia, M. punicea, M. grandis, M. integrifolia) and the Primulinse {M. Henrici, 

 M. primulina, M. lanclfolia, M. DelavayiJ — we by no chance ever find 4 petals ; in all 

 these species we find, as in Sanguinaria, 5-8 or 9 petals imbricately spirally 

 arranged. Yet there is no doubt, in spite of this divergence from the characters 

 usually ascribed to the genus that these species are genuine Meconopses. 



§ 1. Aculeatee. Stems, leaves, sepals and ovaries prickly; stigmas 

 pyramidal ; flowers pale purple, usually Papaveroid, i.e., with 4 petals; 

 (occasionally in M. horridula VAR. typica and usually in M. horridula 

 tar. racemosa tvith petals 5-8). 



1. (2.) Meconopsis horridula H. f. & T. 



Var. typica ; scapes radical one-fld ; leaves membranous entire. 

 M. horridula H. f. Sf T. Flor. Ind. 252 (1855) ; Walp Ann. iv. 171 (1857). 

 Flor. Brit. Ind. i. 118 (1872). 



Sikkim: Kongra-Lama, Bomtso and Kan-ka-la, 14-17000 ft. 

 abundant, Hooker ! Kan-kra-la and Donkia, G. Gammie ! Cummins ! 

 Chumbi : at Te-ling, Bungboo ! Distrib. Central Tibet (Rochhill !) and 

 South-Eastern Tibet (Thorold ! King's Collectors /) 



Var. racemosa; some or all of the scapes agglutinated to form a 

 leafless grooved stem with pseudo-racemose inflorescence and bractless 

 pedicels ; leaves membranous entire or (rarely) dentate. M. racemosa 

 Maxim. Ball. Acad. Petersb. xxiii. 310 et Mel. Biol. ix. 713 (1876) ; 

 Forbes Sf Hemsl. Joum. Linn. Soc. xxiii. [Ind. Sinens. i.] 34(1886); 

 Maxim. Flor. Tangut. i. 36. t. 9. f. 1-6 et t. 23. f. 26 (1889). 



Sikkim : Ta-ne-gang, Gia-gong and near Cho-la, King's Collectors ! 

 Lachung, Bungboo I Tankra-la (specimens with deeply dentate leaves), 

 G. Gammie! Chumbi : Sham-chen, Bungboo! Ta-Chey-Kung, Kin</s 

 Collectors! Distrib. North Tibet (PrzeioaMi !) Central Tibet (near 

 Lhassa, Bungboo !) Northern Szechuen (Potanin !) 



