''Meconopsis bella'' is commonly known as the pretty blue poppy. ''M. bella'' is a species of the genus ''

Meconopsis ''Meconopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It was created by French botanist Viguier in 1814 for the species known by the common name Welsh poppy, which Carl Linnaeus had described as ''Papaver cambricum''. ...

'' which is found from central

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

to southeastern

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. It is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

flowering plant and is a part of the poppy family Papaveraceae. This plant is also referred to as Meconopsis bella prain, since it was aptly names by the botanist Prain.

Distribution

''Meconopsis bella'' is one of the four species of the meconopsis family that occurs in the Himalayan alpine zone. It is found in from central Nepal to southeastern Tibet at altitudes ranging from 3500m-5000m. It is found in rock crevices and grass cliff edges.

Habitat and ecology

''Meconopsis bella'' is a deciduous, perennial plant that grows in rock crevices and grass cliff edges. As a perennial plant, it lives for over two years. It dies in autumn and winter to a resting bud and then emerges again in the spring and summer. As a perennial flowering plant, it grows from the root-stalk as opposed to from a seed. This pretty blue poppy thrives in poor, drained soil, and on a cool, half shaded raised bed.

Morphology

Individuals of this species are tufted perennial plants with thick taproots carrying old leaf stalks. There are no leaves at the stem, only on the base. The leaves on the base can be entire or lobed. The flowers are nodding, and grow singly on slender stems; the stems are usually about 20 cm long. Flowers can be pale blue, purple, or pink and can be either hairless or bristly haired. Several flowers are produced from the same rosette in succession. The petals are 1.5–3 cm long and have undulate margins.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6804860

bella Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. ''Bella'' is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, to the name Belle, meaning ''beautiful'' in French. It increased in ...

Flora of Nepal Flora of Tibet