Flora-Fauna

Papaver libanoticum Boiss.

First published in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 2, 16: 373 (1841).

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, pp. 62–64, Pl. XXV, 1; 1970)

• Life-form & habit: Biennial or perennial with a woody root and yellow-orange latex. Usually many prostrate or ascending stems, sometimes a single more erect, branched stem; 5–30 cm tall. Stems slender and flexuous, with scattered appressed bristles.

• Leaves: Pale green and slightly glaucous, clustered around the crown on many-stemmed plants or distributed along single stems. Petioles broaden at the base and bear abundant long, erect white bristles. Blades deeply pinnately divided into lobed segments, each lobe ending in a white bristle. Stem leaves shortly stalked or sessile and pinnately lobed.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Two sepals with appressed bristles. Petals soon falling, pale red tending towards orange, without a black basal blotch.

• Fruit: Blue-black, oblong capsule, narrowed at both ends, with a narrow conical, deciduous disc bearing four stigmas. Mature capsule opens by four valves.

• Phenology: Summer.

• Habitat & elevation: High mountains.

• Lebanese distribution: Jabal Sannine, Makmel, Cedars Pass, Aayoun Orghoch, Qornet el Sawda and Mount Hermon.

• Syrian distribution: Soudr Cheikh Ali in the Anti-Lebanon.

• Recorded locations: Sannine and Kornet el Sawda.

• Native range: Lebanon-Syria and Türkiye.

⚠️ Taxonomic note: Mouterde’s regional account calls the plant endemic, but Kew’s current species circumscription includes Türkiye and two accepted subspecies. It is therefore not presented here as endemic to Lebanon.