Saturday 19 February 2005

Meconopsis quintuplinerva


Taxonomy

A mauve/purple polycarpic Chinese species centred north of Sichuan flowering from basal scapes with grey anthers and somewhat pendent flowers. Hybrids occur (M x Cookei) with M. punicea in wild.

Cultivation

A reliable perennial plant of variable colour and size which can be regularly divided when happy and often produces underground rhizomes. Seed (if you can ever find it) rarely germinates and is not often set in cultivation (but unlikely with single clones that usually are in gardens) The little wild seed I have had has also not germinated. Much wild seed is collected under-ripe and this may be the reason. However given the apparent more complex dormancy of the related M. punicea it would certainly be worth trying sowing immediately or as soon after harvest as possible.


Map Location


View Meconopsis World quintuplinervia in a larger map