Papaver pygmaeum

Papaver pygmaeum is a species of poppy known by the common name alpine glacier poppy. It is native to North America, where it can be found in British Columbia, Alberta, and Montana. It has a narrow distribution around the intersection of the three borders. There are about 23 known occurrences, mostly in Montana, with some in Alberta and one in British Columbia.[1] It is present in a number of locations within Glacier National Park.[2]

Papaver pygmaeum
Papaver pygmaeum in Glacier National Park

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Papaveraceae
Genus: Papaver
Species:
P. pygmaeum
Binomial name
Papaver pygmaeum

This perennial herb produces a stem up to 12 centimeters tall from a taproot. The blue-green leaves are up to 5 centimeters long. The flower is about 2 centimeters wide. The petals are yellow, orange-pink, or orange with a yellow spot. The fruit is a rough-haired capsule about 1.5 centimeters long.[3] Blooming occurs in July and August.[2]

This plant grows in high mountain habitat in alpine climates. It grows on rocky terrain such as talus and fell fields.[2]

References
  1. Papaver pygmaeum. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. Williams, Tara Y. 1990. Papaver pygmaeum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  3. Papaver pygmaeum. Flora of North America.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.