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arctic poppy, iceland poppy, Macoun's poppy, root poppy

mcconnell's poppy

Habit Plants loosely to densely cespitose, to 1.5 dm. Plants loosely cespitose, to 1.5 dm.
Leaves

to 12 cm;

petiole 2/3 length of leaf;

blade green on both surfaces, not glaucous, lanceolate, 1-2x-lobed with 2-3(-4) pairs of primary lateral lobes;

primary lobes broadly lanceolate or strap-shaped, apex obtuse to acute.

to 10 cm;

petiole to 1/2 length of leaf;

blade gray- and blue-green on both surfaces, glaucous, lanceolate, 1-2x-lobed, commonly with 3 pairs of primary lateral lobes, hirsute;

primary lobes obovate to strap-shaped, mostly divided, short, apex acute or more commonly obtuse or rounded.

Inflorescences

scapes erect or bowed and decumbent, less than 15 cm, sparsely to densely hispid.

scapes erect or decumbent, generally curved, less than 15 cm, hispid.

Flowers

to 6.5 cm diam.;

petals yellow or white, rarely pink tinged, or brick red;

anthers yellow;

stigmas 4-7, disc convex.

to 6 cm diam.;

petals yellow, or white with yellow basal spot;

anthers yellow;

stigmas 5-7, disc conic-umbonate.

Capsules

obovoid to subglobose, 1-2.5 times longer than broad, strigose, trichomes light to dark brown or black.

subglobose to obconic, to 1.5 cm, 1-2.5 times longer than broad, strigose, trichomes dark brown to black.

2n

= 28.

Papaver radicatum

Papaver mcconnellii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Calcareous mountain summits, ridges, and screes
Elevation 1000-1500 m (3300-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; NM; UT; WY; AB; BC; NF; NT; QC; YT; Arctic and alpine North America; Europe; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; YT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies numerous (4 in the flora).

Many infraspecific taxa have been named from throughout the extensive range of this extremely variable species. Within North America, the following broadly circumscribed subspecies are generally, but not always, distinguishable.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In view of intermediate forms in the Alaska Range, we have broadened the concept of Papaver mcconnellii to include P. denalii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Scapes densely hispid with dark trichomes; capsules with dark brown trichomes.
subsp. polare
1. Scapes hispid with light-colored trichomes (sometimes dark brown in subsp. alaskanum); capsules with light to dark brown trichomes.
→ 2
2. Flowers 2 cm diam. or less; capsules ellipsoid-subglobose to oblong-obconic; Rocky Mountain system from Alaska and Yukon southward.
subsp. kluanense
2. Flowers mostly greater than 2 cm diam.; capsules broadly obovoid to ellipsoid; Aleutian Islands n, e across arctic Alaska and Canada to Greenland.
→ 3
3. Capsule trichomes generally with abruptly thickened bases; Aleutian Islands, islands of the Bering Strait and w coast of Alaska.
subsp. alaskanum
3. Capsule trichomes generally without thickened bases; w, n Alaska e to Canada and Greenland.
subsp. radicatum
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Meconella Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Meconella
Sibling taxa
P. alboroseum, P. argemone, P. californicum, P. dubium, P. gorodkovii, P. hybridum, P. lapponicum, P. macounii, P. mcconnellii, P. nudicaule, P. orientale, P. pygmaeum, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum, P. walpolei
P. alboroseum, P. argemone, P. californicum, P. dubium, P. gorodkovii, P. hybridum, P. lapponicum, P. macounii, P. nudicaule, P. orientale, P. pygmaeum, P. radicatum, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum, P. walpolei
Subordinate taxa
P. radicatum subsp. alaskanum, P. radicatum subsp. kluanense, P. radicatum subsp. polare, P. radicatum subsp. radicatum
Synonyms P. denalii
Name authority Rottbfll: Skr. Kifbenhavnske Selsk. Laerd. Elsk. 10: 455. (1770) Hultén: Fl. Alaska Yukon 5: 803, fig. 1. (1945)
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