50 shades of red: the poppies of Armenia

Papaver arenarium

There is a rather flawed truism that the eastern hemisphere has far fewer red flowered plants than the hummingbird infested Western hemisphere--and I don't deny that there are a suprising number of red flowered plants in the Americas. However, the Eastern hemisphere boasts a few groups with some of the reddest flowers imaginable: tulips, peonies and especially poppies--which are often strangely similar in their floral impact.

Although we only really had ten days in the field, I was astonished at what a range and abundance of poppies we found all over Armenia.  You may look at these and wonder what distinguishes one from the next: alas, few were in seed--but seedpods are a definitely important way to tell them apart. And in my case traveling with Tamar Galstyan--author of Flowers of Armenia and a leading field botanist of the this region was extremely helpful.

This was the first species we encountered between Gyumri and Haghpat in northern Armenia.

Papaver arenarium

Papaver bipinnatum

This beautiful species was commonest in the south--sligfhly more orange than the others. 

Papaver bipinnatum

I photographed this above the Araxes river, within a quarter mile of Iran,

Papaver commutatum

This grew in many areas of central Armenia: especially large and bright red. Generally growing on wetter, richer soils.

Papaver commutatum

Papaver commutatum

Papaver dubium

Possibly one of the most ineradicable weeds in my home garden (the form I grow isn't this nice) I was charmed by Armenia's form of this variable poppy.

Papaver dubium

Papaver fugax

We found this species only a few times, always on very rocky substrates. The flowers lose their petals quickly: hence the "fugax" (fleeting),

Papaver macrostomum

This was the poppy that was most abundant--usually in fallow fields. We saw countless acres stained reed with it.

Papaver macrostomum

Papaver macrostomum

Papaver roseolum

And for a bit of a change--the only pink annual species we found...

Papaver roseolum

Roemeria hybrida

Another dramatic departure: alas we only found a few plants of this in the great Norevank monastery.

Roemeria refracta

The crazy seedpods reveal why these, perhaps, have been segregated into a different genus!

Roemeria refracta

At first I was sure this was a Papaver, until I saw the ungainly, linear pods.

Roemeria refracta

And there were more annuals we didn't find... and we did see the foliage of many Oriental poppies--the perennial sorts with giant flowers--often in these same shades. Alas, we were several weeks early to find these in bloom...a very good reason to go back to Armenia in June!