''Meconopsis manasluensis'' is a red-flowered Himalayan poppy belonging to ''Meconopsis'' subg. ''Discogyne'', which forms a natural grouping of 6 or 7 species within the genus all characterised by a stylar disc surmounting the ovary (lacking in other ''

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''. ...

''). As reflected by the species etymology, ''M. manasluensis'' is endemic to the vicinity of the

Manaslu Manaslu ( ne, मनास्लु, also known as Kutang; muh-NAA-slu) is the eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. The name Mana ...

Himal of

Gorkha district Gorkha District ( ne, गोरखा जिल्ला ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal, which is the fourth largest district (by area) of Nepal and connected historically with the creation of the modern Nep ...

, central Nepal, where it grows at high elevation (ca. 4000 m) and so far remains known only from its type collection locality. ''Meconopsis manasluensis'' is easily distinguished within subgenus ''Discogyne'' through its multiple flowering stems, unlike the single prominent fleshy stem in all other species. The closely related '' M. pinnatifolia'' is known from the same general locality in the wild, however possible mechanisms preventing cross-fertilisation between ''M. manasluensis'' and this species remain unclear. Specimens of ''M. manasluensis'' were first collected on the joint

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies ...

University of Tokyo , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

Manaslu '08 expedition to the

Manaslu Eco-Tourism Area Manaslu ( ne, मनास्लु, also known as Kutang; muh-NAA-slu) is the eighth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It is in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. The name Man ...

in 2008. It was not until later herbarium research undertaken for preparation of the

Flora of Nepal The Flora of Nepal is one of the richest in the world due to the diverse climate, topology and geography of the country. Research undertaken in the late 1970s and early 1980s documented 5067 species of which 5041 were angiosperms and the remainin ...

that the specimens were discovered to constitute a new species, subsequently described in 2011 alongside ''

Meconopsis autumnalis ''Meconopsis autumnalis'', the Nepalese autumn poppy, is a yellow-flowered Himalayan poppy belonging to series Robustae, and is endemic to the Ganesh Himal range of central Nepal, where it was discovered in 2008 on a research expedition from the ...

''.Egan, P.A. (2011) Meconopsis autumnalis and M. manasluensis (Papaveraceae), two new species of Himalayan poppy endemic to central Nepal with sympatric congeners.
- Further information including original species description and ecological notes.

Ecology

''Meconopsis manasluensis'' is found growing in alpine scrub (''

Betula utilis ''Betula utilis'', the Himalayan birch (''bhojpatra'', sa, भूर्ज ''bhūrjá''), is a deciduous tree native to the Western Himalayas, growing at elevations up to . The Latin specific epithet ''utilis'' means "useful", and refers to the ...

'', ''

Berberis ''Berberis'' (), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from tall, found throughout Temperateness, temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in S ...

'', ''

Lonicera Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'', ''

Salix Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

'', etc.) and herb-rich alpine grasslands at elevations in and around 4000 m in moist, humus-rich soils. The plant is locally abundant, but a small or possibly severely restricted specific distribution may give cause for conservational concern. Flowering is July–August.

References

External links

Two new species of Himalayan poppy from Nepal
- News briefing, School of Natural Sciences - Trinity College Dublin.
Flora of Nepal
- Coordinated by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and partners. * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q6804864 manasluensis Endemic flora of Nepal Plants described in 2011