''Meconopsis napaulensis'', the Nepal poppy or satin poppy, is a plant of the family
Papaveraceae. The plant contains
beta-carbolines, which (in doses high enough) act as a
psychedelic drug
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluc ...
. However, its
phytochemistry remains predominantly unstudied.
Recent taxonomical reclassification by Grey-Wilson (2006) has separated 4 new species from ''M. napaulensis'': ''
M. chankheliensis'', ''
M. ganeshensis'', ''
M. staintonii'' and ''
M. wilsonii'', while ''
M. wallichii'' has been reinstated. ''M. wallichii'' had been previously described in 1852 by Hooker, but was later placed under the species ''M. napaulensis'' by Taylor in 1934.
In light of the current reclassification by Grey-Wilson, the description of the species ''M. napaulensis'' is subsequently much more refined. Based on the type specimen, it is only yellow in flower, with a small geographical range in central
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
.
Prior to the recent reclassification of ''Meconopsis napaulensis'', flower colours of the species ranged between red, purple and white, and much of what is grown in gardens under the name ''M. napaulensis'' are of this colour. However, the name is now technically misapplied.
References
Grey-Wilson, 2006. The True Identity of Meconopsis Napaulensis DC. Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Volume 23, Number 2, May 2006, pp. 176–209(34)
External links
Plants For A FutureThe Meconopsis Group
napaulensis
Flora of Nepal
Plants described in 1824
{{Papaveraceae-stub