The primary reason for the formation of The Meconopsis Group, to attempt to clarify the identities and nomenclature of the big perennial blue poppies in cultivation, has already been outlined (see Study Group main page). Three major sorts of problems were identified:

• Many of the poppies were sterile clones, many decades old. Often the names attributed to them were suspect, and a number of clones of horticultural merit were unnamed. Most were in need of description and publication.
• The existence of fertile hybrid big blue poppies needed to be recognised and it was necessary to correct the error of using the same epithet, x sheldonii, for both these and certain of the long-standing “old” sterile hybrid poppies.
• The characteristics defining the species M. grandis, together with possible sub-species or varieties, was in need of elucidation.

Work on the problems outlined above has been tackled as indicated below:

• Individual plants, especially long-standing, “old” sterile clones, were collected from as many sources as possible, and grown in Identification Trial Beds at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for careful comparisons.
• To provide a framework within which to work in sorting out the assembled plants, a naming scheme was devised. This scheme included the use of the Group concept. A Group is a formal category for assembling cultivars, individual plants or assemblages of plants on the basis of defined similarity. (see Cultivated Code, published by ICNCP, 7th edn., 2004. )
• Following prolonged study and discussion the individual plants in the trial were classified in three categories:

• 1. Three species:  M. baileyi (M. betonicifolia of hort.), M. grandis and M. simplicifolia. (See also MM. baileyi & betonicifolia reclassification).
  2. Three Groups (details below) : M. George Sherriff Group, M. Infertile Blue Group, and M. Fertile Blue Group.
  3. Several hybrids so distinct that it was unnecessary to allocate them to a Group, e,g. M. ‘Keillour’ and M. ‘Willie Duncan’.

The three Groups (in 2 above) are:

• Meconopsis George Sherriff Group (GSGp)– comprises the various sterile clones previously collectively called M. grandis GS600 and believed to be derived from plants raised from Sherriff’s 1934 seed collection of M. grandis GS600, e.g. M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’ and M. ‘Huntfield’.
• Meconopsis Infertile Blue Group (IBGp) – comprises the remainder of the many decades old, sterile clones e.g. M. ‘Slieve Donard’, M. ‘Crewdson Hybrid’

Meconopsis Fertile Blue Group comprises fertile hybrids that produce viable seed. They are probably allopolyploid. To date, five cultivars have been named, i.e. MM. ‘Lingholm’, ‘Kingsbarns’, ‘Harry Bush’, ‘Louise’ and ‘Mop-head’. Plants raised from seeds of the last three cultivars may be variable, i.e. cannot be relied on to come true. Therefore the names only apply to plants vegetatively propagated from the original clones, i.e. these cultivars are clonal cultivars (any seed collected, or seedlings raised, are to be labelled “ex M. ‘Harry Bush'” etc). These cultivars are obviously closely related to M. ‘Lingholm’. In contrast, M. ‘Kingsbarns’ is clearly very different from M. ‘Lingholm’ and in appearance very like some forms of true M. grandis.

These three groups are used as ‘holding’ categories to which plants are assigned (e.g. M. George Sherriff Group) until individual cultivars may be selected from the Group for naming (e.g. M. George Sherriff Group ‘Jimmy Bayne’, or more simply M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’).

It is not easy to give the defining features for the various big perennial blue poppies – which are, after all, just that. However, there are differences which are readily recognised and appreciated by observant gardeners.

First, when available, notice is taken of the supplied names, e.g. M. grandis GS600 and M. x sheldonii. Following this, diagnoses are made on the basis of many features. Morphological features at all stages of development are helpful and important. In sequence, these stages comprise i). newly emerging leaves, i.e. emergence from the soil of the young leaves in early spring, ii). flowering stem, i.e. emergence, lengthening and development of flowering stem with its flower buds, iii). flowering and iv). maturation of the fruit-capsules, with or without viable seeds. It is not appropriate to list here all the finer details which are taken into consideration. Instead, a number of examples will be illustrated, and in the captions the most salient points enumerated.

Emerging leaves: The pictures below are examples of plants at the stage of early leaf emergence.

Far left is of M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’ (GSGp): leaves broad and spreading, strong purple-red pigment on both upper and lower surfaces, leaf margin neatly notched. Second from left is of M. grandis: leaves narrow and upreaching, no purple-red pigmentation, leaf margin virtually smooth. Third from left is of M. ‘Willie Duncan’: leaves broad, spreading, thick-textured, pale green with no purple-red pigmentation, leaf margin with neat notches. Far right is of M. ‘Slieve Donard’ (IBGp): leaves fairly narrow, upreaching, slight pigmentation on lower surface only, covered with long hairs with white tips, leaf margin virtually smooth.

Flowering stem: The following illustrate various characteristics.

1.  M. ‘Houndwood’ A long and (normally) leafless flower stalk (pedicel) arises straight from ground level. A single flower is borne at its apex.
2.  M. grandis (photographed by George Smith in Nepal). Each flower is again borne at the end of a long pedicel but it arises from the apex of a short peduncle (main flowering stem) and not from soil level. There is also a cluster of leaves surrounding the stem apex (false whorl). (Another distinctive feature is the excessive lengthening of the pedicel after the flowers have faded and while the fruit-capsules are developing.)
3.  M. ‘Lingholm’ (FBGp): Each main flower stem (peduncle) is relatively long and bears a number of stem leaves as well as a false whorl of leaves at the top. Several flowers arise at this point. The pedicels are not unduly long.
4.  M. ‘Willie Duncan’. In this top section of the stem, several flowers arise from within the false whorl: other flower buds occur in the axils of stem leaves below. The pedicels are relatively short.

Flowers: The following pictures show some of the variety of flower forms to be seen among the big perennial blue poppies in cultivation.

M. ‘Mrs Jebb’ (IBGp) has the smallest flowers which are shallow and saucer-shaped with virtually circular petals, whilst in M. ‘Ascreavie’ (GSGp) the petals are longer than broad and tend not to overlap, making for a “gappy” windmill-like flower.  M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’ (GSGp) has bowl shaped flowers with broadly overlapping petals.  The texture of the petals also varies, e.g. smooth and silky in M. ‘Slieve Donard’ (IBGp) and rather crimped and crisp in M. ‘Mrs Jebb’.  The pistils vary as is illustrated by the much longer and narrower pistils in M. ‘Slieve Donard’ compared with the other three forms.  Other differences not mentioned here are also helpful in diagnoses.

Capsules: These pictures illustrate some of the variety of capsule shapes and bristle characteristics to be seen amongst the big perennial blue poppies. Capsule characteristics are also very helpful in cultivar diagnoses.

1. M. grandis  2. M. ‘Lingholm’  3. M. ‘Slieve Donard’  4. M. ‘Bobby Masterton’
5. M. ‘Crarae’  6. M. ‘Ascreavie’  7. M. ‘Jimmy Bayne’  8. M. ‘Huntfield’
Note that (2) is attributed to FBGp, (3,4,5) to IBGp and (6,7,8) to GSGp

Good progress has been made in defining the Groups, also in identifying and either confirming the names of, or naming, a number of cultivars. More details are to be found, including descriptions of individual cultivars, on the main page “Plant Portraits”. There is also a supplementary Table of approved names.