Papaver nudicaule subsp. americanum

Rändel ex D. F. Murray

Novon 5: 294. 1995.

Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Plants loosely cespitose, to 2 (-4) dm. Leaves to 20 cm; petiole to 2/3 length of leaf; blade gray-green abaxially, green adaxially, lanceolate, deeply 1-2×-lobed with 3-4 pairs of primary lateral lobes, glabrate or setose adaxially with long white trichomes; primary lobes lanceolate or strap-shaped. Inflorescences: scapes erect, hispid. Flowers to 6 cm diam.; petals yellow or white; anthers yellow; stigmas 5-6, disc flat to convex-umbonate. Capsules subglobose to ellipsoid, conspicuously ribbed, to 2.5 times longer than broad, to 1.5 cm, strigose with light (ivory) trichomes having abruptly expanded bases. 2n = 28.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Dry, exposed, rocky openings such as on steep slopes, screes, and outcrops
Elevation: 300-1000 m

Discussion

Papaver nudicaule grows in the boreal forest of the continental interior and disjunct westward along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. It includes numerous red, white, and yellow cultivars of the so-called Iceland poppy encountered along the road system in Alaska, Canada, southwestern Greenland, and no doubt elsewhere. The species was originally described from Siberian material, to which our subsp. americanum has obvious affinities (U. Rändel 1977).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"lengthofleaf" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

Rändel ex D. F. Murray +
expanded +
Subspecies numerous +
palmate +  and subpalmate +
green +  and gray-green +
setose;glabrate +
1-2×-lobed +  and lanceolate +
0-2.5 times longer than broad +
subglobose +  and ellipsoid +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
flat;convex-umbonate +
sessile +  and subsessile +
Yukon +  and Alaska. +
300-1000 m +
yellow +  and white +
sessile +, pedicellate +  and symmetric +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
transverse +, poricidal +, valvate +  and dehiscence +
Dry, exposed, rocky openings such as on steep slopes, screes, and outcrops +
paniculate +  and racemose +
terminal +  and axillary +
1-2×-lobed +  and unlobed +
sessile +, petiolate +  and simple +
alternate +  and opposite or whorled +
cauline +  and basal +
incised +, scalloped +, toothed +  and entire +
multilocular +
white +  and yellow +
distinct +
obovate +
2 times number of sepals +
Flowering Jun–Aug. +
3-18[-22]-carpellate +
strap--shaped +  and lanceolate +
red +, orange +  and white +
carunculate +  and arillate +
distinct +
obovate +
decumbent +, spreading +  and erect +
deciduous +  and persistent +
Papaver sect. Scapiflora +  and Papaver sect. Lasiotrachyphylla +
Papaver nudicaule subsp. americanum +
Papaver nudicaule +
subspecies +
light +  and white +
plant +  and cespitose +