Papaver macrostomum Boiss., Fl. Orient. 1: 115. 1867; Singh & Kachroo, For. Fl Srinagar 25, 27. 1976.

Herbs, annual, erect; stems 20 - 40 cm long, with soft scattered spreading bristles except peduncles which are appressed-hairy. Basal leaves 1 - 2-pinnatisect or deeply incised, 5 - 10 cm long; segments linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, entire or coarsely dentate, acute, terminating in a bristle, 1 - 4 cm long, hairy on both surfaces or glabrous above; lower leaves petioled; upper ones usually sessile or subsessile, becoming smaller upwards. Peduncles 10 - 22 cm long, stout, often flexuous, appressed bristly; flower buds ovoid-oblong, rounded at apex, 10 - 25 x 6 - 11 mm, with spreading hairs; flowers up to 6 cm in diam. Sepals caducous. Petals broadly obovate-orbicular, 2 - 3 cm long, bright red or crimson with or without a basal black blotch. Stamens numerous; filaments almost black, slender; anthers broadly ellipsoid, 1 - 1.5 mm long; connective beanng a small orange capitate apical appendage. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, narrow at base, broad at apex, 9 - 20 x 4 - 10 mm, glabrous, smooth or faintly ribbed; stigmatic rays 5 - 10, keeled with disc teeth ascending and reeurved at edges; seeds reniform, up to 1 mm long, dark brown, reticulate.

Fl. & Fr. April - Aug.

Distrib. India: N.W. Himalayas, open fields and grasslands, 1500 - 3000 m. Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Russia.

Notes. Chromosome no. n = 7 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15: 117 - 123. 1972); 2n = 14 (Kawatani & Ohno in Bull Nat. Inst. Hyg. Sci. 83: 127 - 133. 1965).

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