Dicranostigma Lactucoides

Dicranostigma lactucoides is an unusual Himalayan poppy relative with flat rosettes of glaucous, deeply lobed leaves that have a distinctly lettuce-like appearance. Slender stems carry broad, crinkled flowers in clear yellow to orange-yellow, followed by long cylindrical capsules crowned by a forked stigma, the feature reflected in the genus name. It grows naturally on dry stony slopes, river terraces and moraines at high elevation. Compact but characterful, it is a rewarding plant for a sunny scree, raised bed or larger alpine trough.