Phuentsho¹

¹National Biodiversity Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Serbithang, Thimphu, Bhutan.

Corresponding author: Phuentsho, National Biodiversity Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Serbithang, Thimphu, Bhutan.

Email: phuentsho8@gmail.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47811/bsj.0025060807

The national flower, formerly regarded as a subspecies of Meconopsis grandis, has been taxonomically revised and recognized as a distinct species, Meconopsis gakyidiana in 2016 (Figure 1) [1]. It is a polycarpic herb with height ranging from 45 – 120 cm with rhizomes, fibrous roots, and bristly stems. Leaves are oblong to ovate, flowers nodding, 6 – 15 cm wide, petals blue to purple. It grows in shrubberies and forest edges at 3,700 – 4,300 m in Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Xizang (Tibet) [1].

As the plant represents Bhutan’s national flower, the species epithet gakyidiana was derived from the Dzongkha term gakyid (happiness), to symbolize Bhutan’s guiding developmental philosophy of Gross National Happiness [1]. In Dzongkha, the species is known as Tsernyoen Meto, while the Brokpa community of Merak refers to it as Kuengyen Mendo, which literally translates to “the ornament flower of all the people.”

Although a few other species of the genus Meconopsis, such as Meconopsis horridula, Meconopsis paniculata, Meconopsis bhutanica (previously identified as Meconopsis discigera), Meconopsis simplicifolia, and Meconopsis wallichii (now identified as Meconopsis napaulensis [2]) have been reported to be used in the formulation of traditional medicines in Bhutan [2,3], Meconopsis gakyidiana is currently not known to be used in traditional medicine in the country.

Declarations

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Consent for publication

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests

There was no funding for this article.

All public sources of data have been cited in this article.

Conceptualization, Validation, Investigation, Resources, Data curation,Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing: CM

References

1. Yoshida T, Yangzom R, Long D. Dancing butterflies of the East Himalayas: new Meconopsis species from East Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and South Tibet. Sibbaldia: The Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture.2017; 69–96. Available: DOI:10.24823/Sibbaldia.2016.193
2. Wangdi S, Tashi D, Wangdi T, Gyeltshen T, Wangmo S, Dorji JY, et al. Materia Medica on High Altitude Plants of Bhutan. 1st ed. Gaylek K, Tashi D, Wangdi T, Gyeltshen T, Wangmo S, Samten, et al., editors. Thimphu, Bhutan: Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan; 2019.
3. Wangchuk P, Samten, Ugyen. High altitude medicinal plants of Bhutan: an illustrated guide for practical use. 1st ed. Wangchuk D, Tashi, editors. Thimphu, Bhutan: Pharmaceutical and Research Unit, Institute of Traditional Medicine Services, Ministry of Health; 2009.