M. grandis 'Strathspey'
A very attractive early flowering cultivar with deep purple-blue lateral facing flowers. It was once thought to have an affinity to M. grandis subsp. jumlaensis.
MG Rating: ★★★★   Awards: PC (2013)
Introduced by: J. Gauld, 2007. Named by: The Meconopsis Group, 2011.
Registered by: The Meconopsis Group, 2011.
Flowering: May to early-June. Stems usually only form a single flower on a pedicel arising from the false whorl of leaves at the apex of the stem but sometimes 2 or 3 flowering pedicels may develop. The pedicels lengthen extensively during flowering so that the flowers are held well above the foliage. The deep purple-blue flowers are initially nodding and cupped but then open out to become more lateral facing and shallowly bowl-shaped. Their petals are fluted, broadly oval and overlap in their lower half. The petal margins are undulate.
Emerging foliage: Ascending elliptical blades on long petioles with a slight red-purple pigmentation which is more pronounced on the leaf margins and midrib.
Mature foliage: The basal leaves become more spreading with long petioles. The leaf blades are narrowly oblong-elliptic with a shortly attenuate leaf base and a sub-obtuse apex. The leaf margins are regularly serrated with small teeth. The bract leaves forming the false whorl at the top of the stem are noticeably large.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely clothed with deep golden-straw-coloured bristles. Long narrow straight style with a prominent stigma. Infertile.
Etymology: Jim Gauld bought this cultivar from Inshriach Nursery near Aviemore many years ago as a form of M. grandis grown from seed collected by Polunin, Sykes and Williams (PSW) in W. Nepal. It was originally thought to have been an example of M. grandis subsp. jumlaensis but as the cultivar is sterile and does not exhibit many of the characteristics of this subspecies it may have other origins or else be a hybrid form. The cultivar was given the name ‘Strathspey’ because of Jim’s love for Loch an Eilean which is located in Strathspey close to Inshriach Nursery.