M. 'John Lawson' (George Sherriff Group)
A cultivar which is probably of garden origin but has an affinity to M. gakyidiana. It has many features in common with M. ‘Ascreavie’ but is rather smaller and shorter in stature.
Named by: E. Stevens, 2015. Registered by: E. Stevens, 2015.
Flowering: late-May to June. 2 or 3 long narrow pointed flower buds arise from the false whorl of jagged bract leaves which have acute apices. The deep blue to purple-blue half-nodding flowers are “windmill-shaped” with long narrow non-overlapping elliptic petals which have undulate margins.
Emerging foliage: The late emerging firm broad leaves are intensely suffused with a red-purple pigmentation and densely covered with short pale hairs.
Mature foliage: The mature basal leaves are elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic on long petioles. Their margins are deeply incised with serrate teeth, the lamina base is attenuate and the apex acute.
Fruit capsule: Narrowly ellipsoid and densely covered with short spreading bristles. Tipped with a long slender style and neat stigma. Sterile.
Etymology: The cultivar has been named after the late John Lawson who owned Inshriach Nursery for many years. It was originally donated by John to The Meconopsis Group naming trial as M. ‘Branklyn'.