Papaver radicatum
Papaver radicatum subsp. kluanense
arctic poppy, iceland poppy, Macoun's poppy, root poppy
root poppy
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 7 cm;
petiole to 2/3 length of leaf;
blade gray- to blue-green on both surfaces, lanceolate, with 2-3(-4) pairs of primary lateral lobes, distal pairs closely spaced, proximal often somewhat distant;
primary lobes lanceolate, apex acute to obtuse.
scapes erect or bowed and decumbent, less than 15 cm, sparsely to densely hispid.
scapes erect, white-hispid, often densely so.
to 6.5 cm diam.;
petals yellow or white, rarely pink tinged, or brick red;
anthers yellow;
stigmas 4-7, disc convex.
to 2 cm diam.;
petals yellow, rarely pink tinged or brick red.
obovoid to subglobose, 1-2.5 times longer than broad, strigose, trichomes light to dark brown or black.
ellipsoid-subglobose to oblong-obconic, to 1.2 cm, strigose, trichomes light brown.
= 42, 56.
Papaver radicatum
Papaver radicatum subsp. kluanense
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.)
Plants from the northern part of the range (including the type locality) are taller, with leaf blades 1×-pinnate, larger flowers, and ellipsoid-subglobose capsules, whereas those from the southern part are consistently shorter, with leaf blades 2×-pinnate (more deeply so than in Papaver radicatum subsp. radicatum or subsp. polare), smaller flowers, and oblong-obconic capsules. Because of these differences, D. Löve (1969) maintained P. radicatum subsp. kluanense as distinct from the Utah (and presumably other southern) populations of the Papaver radicatum complex. Nevertheless, we agree with U. Rändel (1975) that the northern and southern populations are linked (in Colorado and Wyoming) by intermediate forms, and hence all are here included within P. radicatum subsp. kluanense.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 |
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
