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Writer's pictureAmy McCarthy

Welsh Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica)



The emblem of Plaid Cymru can be found all over the place in Heavitree brightening the streets with it sunny yellow flowers. A fan of rocky places – so perhaps the cracks and crevices of the urban environment suit it just fine. It’s found throughout much of the UK, but it much less common in the lowlands of the South East and East Midlands.

The interesting thing about Welsh poppy is that it is widely considered to be the only European variety of Meconopsis which is otherwise only found in the Himalayan region. However this paper from 2011 suggests that it may be better to reclassify it as Papaver cambricum , which is the name Linnaeus originally gave it in 1753 (it was moved to Meconopsis in 1814). This would not be the first plant I’ve discovered that 18th Century scientists incorrectly changed from Linneaus’ original classification.

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