Oreomecon is a genus in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It was established in 2022 for what was previously treated as Papaver sect. Meconella in order to ensure that the genus Papaver was monophyletic. Oreomecon is derived from Ancient Greek oros (“mountain”) and mecon (“poppy”), hence “mountain poppy”. Oreomecon nudicaulis, synonym Papaver nudicaule, the Iceland poppy, is a boreal flowering plant. Native to subpolar regions of Asia and North America, and the mountains of Central Asia as well as temperate China (but not in Iceland), Iceland poppies are hardy but short-lived perennials, often grown as biennials. They yield large, papery, bowl-shaped, lightly fragrant flowers supported by hairy, curved stems among feathery blue-green foliage. They were first described by botanists in 1759. The wild species blooms in white or yellow. Other colours, such as buff and orange, are recessive. The Latin specific epithet nudicaulis means “with bare stems”.
