Oreomecon alpina
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Oreomecon alpina, synonym Papaver alpinum, the Alpine poppy or dwarf poppy, is a poppy found in the Alps. The circumscription of the species varies considerably. In some treatments, the species is one of a group of related species, and includes several subspecies, four of which are found in Austria. In other treatments, it includes species that have been treated as separate, and has at most one subspecies.
Description
The Alpine poppy is a short, upright, hairy perennial with all basal leaves. The flower grows to a height of 5 to 25 centimeters, with several upright and hairy stems.
The flowers are hermaphroditic and radially symmetric, with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm. The flower petals are usually white to yellow, but can also be light to quite orange or red. The flowering period is from July to August.
All Alpine poppy subspecies have a strong taproot and make a good rockery plant. The root hairs are angled upwards, which helps secure the plant.
Taxonomy
Oreomecon alpina was given the scientific name Papaver alpinum in 1753 by Linnaeus. It was moved to the new genus Oreomecon in 2021 by Enrico Augusto Banfi, Fabrizio Bartolucci, Jean-Marc Tison, and Gabriele Galasso giving the species its accepted name.
Subspecies
Three subspecies are accepted according to Plants of the World Online:
- Oreomecon alpina subsp. alpina The autonymic subspecies is widespread in Europe from France to Poland and as far south as Bulgaria.
- Oreomecon alpina subsp. fatraemagnae Native to just the former Czechoslovakia. It was described for the first time in 2002.
- Oreomecon alpina subsp. tatrica This subspecies is limited to just the western Carpathian Mountains. It was first described in 1942.
Oreomecon alpina has a large number of synonyms, 97 according Plants of the World Online, including 16 species.
| Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. degenii (Urum. & Jáv.) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. ernesti-mayeri (Markgr.) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. kerneri (Hayek) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. markgrafiana Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. superfl. |
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. occidentalis (Markgr.) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. sendtneri (A.Kern. ex Hayek) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon alpina subsp. victoris (Škornik. & Wraber) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon aurantiaca (Loisel.) Elvebakk & Bjerke | 2024 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Oreomecon tatrica (A.Nyár.) Krivenko | 2023 | species | subsp. tatrica | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver alpinum L. | 1753 | species | O. alpina | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver alpinum var. albiflorum Hausm. | 1851 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Papaver alpinum var. albiflorum W.D.J.Koch | 1836 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum f. albiflorum (Hausm.) Asch. | 1869 | form | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum lusus albiflorum (W.D.J.Koch) Asch. | 1869 | sport | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. album Neilr. | 1859 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. angustius Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. angustius Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. aurantiacum (Loisel.) Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. aurantiacum (Loisel.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. biconvex (A.Nyár.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. burseri (Crantz) Fedde | 1909 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. burseri (Crantz) Bolzon | 1914 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum proles burseri (Crantz) Rouy & Foucaud | 1893 | proles | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. citrinum Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum f. decipiens (Rouy & Foucaud) Bolzon | 1903 | form | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. degenii (Urum. & Jáv.) Markgr. | 1958 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. degenii (Urum. & Jáv.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. elegans (A.Nyár.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. ernesti-mayeri Markgr. | 1958 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum lusus europaeum Regel | 1862 | sport | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. fallacinum (Bornm.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. flaviflorum (W.D.J.Koch) Arcang. | 1882 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. flaviflorum W.D.J.Koch | 1835 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. flavum Neilr. | 1859 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subf. glabrescens Bolzon | 1914 | subform | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. hirsutum Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Papaver alpinum subf. hispidum Bolzon | 1914 | subform | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. igneum Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. intermedium Schinz & R.Keller | 1905 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. intermedium (Schinz & R.Keller) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. julicum (E.Mayer & Merxm.) Á.Löve & D.Löve | 1974 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. kerneri (Hayek) Fedde | 1909 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. kerneri (Hayek) Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. kerneri (Hayek) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. lancifolium (A.Nyár.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. occidentale Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. pseudobiconvex A.Nyár. | 1942 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. pseudobiconvex (A.Nyár.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum var. pseudoelegans A.Nyár. | 1942 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. pseudoelegans (A.Nyár.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. puniceum Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. rhaeticum (Leresche) Nyman | 1889 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. superfl. |
| Papaver alpinum var. rhaeticum (Leresche) Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. superfl. |
| Papaver alpinum f. rhaeticum (Leresche) Bolzon | 1910 | form | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum proles rhaeticum (Leresche) Rouy & Foucaud | 1893 | proles | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. roseolum (Hayek) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. rubellum Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. rubicundum (Bornm.) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. sendtneri (A.Kern. ex Hayek) Schinz & R.Keller | 1909 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. sendtneri (A.Kern. ex Hayek) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. subminiatum Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. sulphurellum (Widder) Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subsp. tatricum A.Nyár. | 1942 | subspecies | subsp. tatrica | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver alpinum var. tatricum (A.Nyár.) Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. tatrica | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver alpinum var. widderi Markgr. | 1958 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver alpinum subvar. widderi Markgr. | 1958 | subvariety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver aurantiacum Loisel. | 1809 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver burseri Crantz | 1763 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver burseri var. bicolor Rchb. | 1838 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver burseri var. biconvex A.Nyár. | 1942 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver burseri var. elegans A.Nyár. | 1942 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver burseri var. sulphurellum Widder | 1932 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver decipiens Rouy & Foucaud | 1893 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver degenii (Urum. & Jáv.) Kuzmanov | 1970 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver julicum E.Mayer & Merxm. | 1960 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver kerneri Hayek | 1903 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver lapponicum subsp. occidentale (Markgr.) Knaben | 1959 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver nudicaule subsp. alpinum (L.) Elkan | 1839 | subspecies | O. alpina | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver nudicaule var. flaviflorum Eklan | 1839 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver occidentale (Markgr.) H.E.Hess & Landolt | 1972 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum var. albiflorum (Hausm.) Dalla Torre | 1882 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum subsp. aurantiacum (Loisel.) Fedde | 1905 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum var. aurantiacum (Loisel.) Dalla Torre | 1882 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum aurantiacum (Loisel.) Farrer | 1919 | subsp. alpina | = het. | |
| Papaver pyrenaicum subsp. degenii Urum. & Jáv. | 1920 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum var. lancifolium A.Nyár. | 1942 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum subsp. rhaeticum (Leresche) Fedde | 1909 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. superfl. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum var. rubicundum Bornm. | 1927 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver pyrenaicum subsp. sendtneri (A.Kern. ex Hayek) Fedde | 1909 | subspecies | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver rhaeticum Leresche | 1874 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver sendtneri A.Kern. ex Hayek | 1903 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver sendtneri var. fallacinum Bornm. | 1927 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver sendtneri var. roseolum Hayek | 1908 | variety | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Papaver suaveolens Lapeyr. | 1818 | species | subsp. alpina | = het., nom. superfl. |
| Papaver tatricum (A.Nyár.) Ehrend. | 1973 | species | subsp. tatrica | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver tatricum subsp. fatraemagnae Bernátová | 2002 | subspecies | subsp. fatraemagnae | ≡ hom. |
| Papaver victoris Škornik. & Wraber | 1988 | species | subsp. alpina | = het. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym |
Chemistry
The alkaloids amurensine and amurensinine can be found in O. alpina.
Citations
Sources
Books
- Bittkau C, Kadereit JW. 2002. Phylogenetic and geographical relationships in Papaver alpinum L. (Papaveraceae) based on RAPD data. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 123: 463–479.
- Grey-Wilson, Christopher (1993). . Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 145–146. ISBN 978-0-88192-232-5.
- Pohler, Alfred (1985). . Translated by Schweighofer, Jacqueline. Oetz, Austria: Verlag Lohmann. OCLC .
Web sources
- POWO (2025a). . Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- POWO (2025b). . Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- POWO (2025c). . Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- POWO (2025d). . Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- POWO (2025e). . Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.