1895.] 
D. Prain — Some additional Papaveracese. 
313 
that requires, in the writer’s opinion, further consideration. It is true that in the 
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, forming the Chelidonifolise , this is the case, as it is in the Anomalse 
(M. heterophylla, M. crassifolia) and in the Robustre (M. rohusta, M. paniculnta, 
M. snperba, M. napaulensis, M. WallichiiJ . Among the Aculeatse, M. aculeata and 
M. sinuata would appear to be always 4-petaled, but with M. 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. lancifolia, M. Delavayi) —we by no chance ever find 4 petals ; in all 
these species we find, as in Sanguinarici, 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. Aculeatae. 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 
VAR. raeemosa with petals 5-8). 
1. (2.) Meconopsis horridula H. f. & T. 
Var. t ypica; scapes radical one-fid; leaves membranous entire. 
M. horridula E. f. 8p 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, Hoolcer ! Kan-kra-la and Donkia, G. Gammie! Cummins! 
Chumbi : at Te-ling, Dungboo ! Distrib. Central Tibet (Rochhill !) and 
South-Eastern Tibet {Thorold ! King's Collectors /) 
Var. raeemosa; 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. raeemosa 
Maxim. Bull, Acad. Petersb. xxiii. 310 et Mel. Biol. ix. 713 (1876) ; 
Forbes 8f Hemsl. Journ. 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, Gfia-gong and near Cho-la, King's Collectors ! 
Lachung, Dungboo! Tankra-la (specimens with deeply dentate leaves), 
G. Gammie! Chumbi: Sliam-chen, Dungboo! Ta-Chey-Kung, King's 
Collectors! Distrib. North Tibet (Przewalshi!) Central Tibet (near 
Lliassa, Dungboo /) Northern SzeChuen (Potanin !) 
