Sunday 9 January 2005

Meconopsis x Cookei - Photos In The Wild

Sichuan This hybrid in gardens is normally very similar to the 4th image on this page. M. quintuplinervia may be very variable and this a variant or else there are complex hybrids involving M. henricii or sinomaculata. This area of China has interesting species interactions. Martin Walsh. These are all shades of mauve, suppressing the red of M. punicea. It is noteworthy that the top image shows the dark Papaver like ring around the ovary. It is likely that these images are in fact not M.x. Cookei but as yet an un-named hybrid with M. sinomaculata Martin Walsh.
A hybrid not yet named between M.punicea and probably M. henricii. Wild hybrids are relatively rare but in these images M. sinomaculata and M. henryi (species closely related and in the M. horridula group) have hybridised with M. quintuplinervia and M. punicea. Huanglong, Sichuan.4,100 m. Harry Jans. Jigzhi, Quinghai,3,800m. A plant typical of the better known garden hybrid between M. punicea and M. quintuplinervia. Hilary and John Birks.
 
Ame Machin Shan, nr Jigzi, Sichuan. The two species of the hybrid M.Cookei growing together. M. punicea left and M. quintuplinervia right. Hilary and John Birks.