8. Meconopsis pseudointegrifolia Prain, Ann. Bot. (Oxford). 20: 353. 1906.
横断山绿绒蒿 heng duan shan lü rong hao
Herbs, monocarpic, 25-120 cm tall, covered for most part in soft golden or rufous hairs, overwintering as a large bud at ground level. Stem usually present, erect, or flowers scapose; when present with a whorl of bractlike leaves subtending flowers. Leaves mostly aggregated into a basal rosette, elliptic to oblanceolate, 14-40 × 2-5 cm, pinnately veined for most part, although base generally 3-veined, sometimes becoming glabrescent above, base narrowed into petiole, margin entire; middle and upper leaves similar to basal ones but generally smaller and shortly petiolate or sessile. Pedicel (or scape) to 45 cm, lengthening in fruit, spreading pubescent to subglabrous. Flowers often 6-9 (occasionally to 18), nodding to half-nodding (becoming gradually erect as flowers fade). Sepals oval, spreading pubescent. Petals 6-8, generally spreading widely apart, pale lemon- or sulphur yellow, oval to elliptic or elliptic-obovate, 5.5-10.5 cm. Stamens numerous; filaments of same color as petals, filiform; anthers yellow to orange-yellow. Ovary obovoid to ellipsoidal, densely to sparsely appressed hairy; styles distinct, 3-11 mm; stigmas rather narrow, stigmatic rays usually 7-10. Capsule obovoid to ellipsoidal, 2.5-3.5 × 0.8-1.2 cm, densely hairy to almost glabrous, 7-10-valvate. Fl. Jun-Aug.
Mountain moorlands, Rhododendron moorlands and woodlands, woodland margins, grassy slopes, rocky slopes, stabilized moraines, scree, margins of swamps, ravines, open shrublands; 2700-4200 m. S Gansu, SW Sichuan, S and SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [NE Myanmar].
Both this species and Meconopsis integrifolia vary greatly in height. Plants can be robust and bear a number of flowers or they can be dwarf and few flowered, sometimes reduced to a single flower per plant. High-altitude forms, particularly those from the bleaker exposed habitats of the Xizang Plateau, can be very dwarf, sometimes as little as 15 cm, and bear a solitary flower; however, they appear to be linked by intermediates to more robust plants at lower elevations and are probably best considered to be ecotypes (there is some evidence, for instance, that this dwarf habit is to some extent maintained in cultivation). Dwarf plants of this kind have been described as M. integrifolia var. uniflora C. Y. Wu & H. Chuang, described from NW Yunnan (Zhongdian), but similar plants are certainly to be found in W Sichuan and S and SE Xizang.
