Taxonomy
( One of five species in section Discogyne characterised by having a disk above the ovary from which the style and stigma protrude – other 4 species are M. tibetica, M. torquata, M simikotensis and M. pinnatifolia ). Monocarpic. This species from East Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan has characteristic leaves which are either 3 lobed or occasionally 5 lobed at the tips. It flowers top down on a raceme and is characterised by having the disk above the ovary. The flowers are a beautiful deep blue in Bhutan but a pale yellow (the form cultivated) from Tibet. The pale yellow (almost cream) is interesting since it is the colour of the blue (M. betonicifolia, M. grandis and M. simplicifolia) crosses with deep yellow M. integrifolia. Blue and yellow forms of M. horridula have been reported but both colours in the same species do not occur otherwise.
There is a very good, well illustrated, article in the Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Society, Vol. 74, part 2, June 2006 by Chris Grey-Wilson on all five of the species that are in the separate sub genus Discogyne.
Cultivation
Only M. discigera of the Discogyne has been regularly grown and that is not easy. M. torquata was flowered by more than one grower many years ago in Scotland and that proved very difficult. Likely to be difficult.
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Map Location
View Meconopsis World discigera in a larger map