Himalayan horn-poppy

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Himalayan horn-poppy
• Himalayan Horned Poppy

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Stylophorum lactucoides
• Chelidonium lactucoides

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically classified within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further organized under the order Ranunculales and the family Papaveraceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Dicranostigma.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is found across several specific regions within Asia. In China, its distribution includes the South-Central area as well as the Tibet region. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, it can be located in Nepal. Furthermore, the species is documented within the West Himalaya range. These locations highlight the plant's presence in diverse mountainous and subtropical environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Dicranosstigma lactucoides is characterized by a highly specialized and narrow altitudinal distribution, as it is strictly confined to high-altitude environments. The species exhibits an extremely specific elevational range, occurring exclusively at an altitude of 3700 m AMSL. This uniformity is reflected in its ecological profile, where the minimum, mean, and maximum elevation values all converge at 3700 m AMSL, suggesting that the plant occupies a very specific niche within a high-mountain ecosystem. Such a precise vertical distribution indicates that the species is likely adapted to the unique climatic, atmospheric, and soil conditions found specifically at this elevation.

Elevational range max:

3700 m AMSL

Morphology

The morphology of Dicranosstigma lactucoides is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. This herbaceous plant exhibits a self-supporting climbing habit rather than being an obligatory or facultative climber. In terms of stature, the plant maintains a relatively low profile, with its height ranging from a minimum of 0.15 m to a maximum of 0.6 m, resulting in an average plant height of approximately 0.375 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Plant height max:

0.6 m

Plant height mean:

0.375 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Dicranosstigma lactucoides is characterized by significant morphological variability in its foliar structures, which play a critical role in its metabolic processes. The leaf dimensions exhibit a broad range of development, with leaf lengths typically maintaining a mean value of 5.5 cm, though they can fluctuate between a minimum of 3 cm and a maximum of 8 cm. Complementing this longitudinal variation is the lateral expansion of the foliage, where leaf widths range from a minimum of 2.5 cm to a maximum of 4 cm. These specific structural parameters suggest a dynamic capacity for surface area adjustment, which likely influences the plant's photosynthetic efficiency and transpiration rates in response to its environmental conditions.

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length mean:

5.5 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

2.5 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Dicranosstigma lactucoides culminates in the development of distinctive fruits characterized by specific morphological dimensions. The fruits exhibit a notable variation in size, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 5 cm to a maximum of 6 cm, maintaining an average length of approximately 5.5 cm. In terms of width, the fruit structure is relatively slender, measuring as narrow as 0.5 cm at its minimum, reaching a maximum width of 0.8 cm, and maintaining a mean width of 0.65 cm. These dimensional parameters define the physical profile of the fruit during its maturation process.

Fruit length max:

6 cm

Fruit length mean:

5.5 cm

Fruit length min:

5 cm

Fruit width max:

0.8 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.65 cm

Fruit width min:

0.5 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Dicranostigma lactucoides has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include SANGUINARINE, chelerythrine.

SANGUINARINE

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

chelerythrine

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis