poppy
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What is a poppy plant?
The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is a flowering plant native to Turkey, belonging to the family Papaveraceae. It grows roughly 3 to 5 feet tall and has silver-green foliage and 5-inch-wide blue-purple flowers.
The opium poppy is the source of opium, from which morphine, codeine, and heroin are derived. The plant is also grown for its nonnarcotic seeds, which are used for baking, seasoning, and oil. Many other poppy species are grown for their attractive flowers.
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Where do poppy plants usually grow?
Most poppy species are located in the Northern Hemisphere, though some can be found in Australia, India, and Mexico. Several species are cultivated as garden ornamentals.
The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is native to Turkey. The Oriental poppy (P. orientale) is native to the Middle East. The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico but has become naturalized in California, Australia, and India. The corn poppy (P. rhoeas) is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia but has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and North America. The Iceland poppy (P. nudicaule) comes from Arctic North America, and the peacock poppy (P. pavoninum) is native to Central Asia.
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What do poppy flowers look like?
Poppies feature lobed or dissected leaves and milky sap. The buds typically nod on solitary stalks. Poppies generally have flowers with four to six petals and many stamens around the ovary.
The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) has 13-cm purple flowers and is native to Turkey. The Oriental poppy (P. orientale) from the Middle East, bears scarlet, salmon, pink, white, or red blooms. The Shirley poppy is a variety of the corn poppy (P. rhoeas) that is white-and-red or white-and-pink. The Iceland poppy (P. nudicaule) from Arctic North America, bears fragrant white, orange, reddish, or bicoloured flowers. The peacock poppy (P. pavoninum) has scarlet petals with a dark spot at the base.
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What are common uses for the poppy plant?
The poppy plant has a variety of uses, both recreational and practical:
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Opium and derivatives The milky latex from unripe seed capsules of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source of opium, which can be processed into morphine, codeine, and heroin. These opiates are known for their pain-relieving, anxiety-reducing, and mood-enhancing effects.
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Seeds Poppy seeds are used for food, flavoring, and oil extraction. They have a mild, nutty taste and are popular in baked goods.
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Ornamental Many poppy species, such as the opium poppy, Oriental poppy, and corn poppy, are grown for their attractive flowers in gardens.
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Dye The corn poppy is a source of red dye used to color wines and medicines.
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Why are some poppies important for making medicine?
The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is a crucial source of several medicinal substances. When the unripe seed capsules are cut, a milky latex exudes from them, which can be processed into morphine, codeine, and heroin. These drugs, known as opiates, primarily affect the brain and spinal cord, relieving pain, alleviating anxiety, and inducing relaxation and sedation. Opium, from which morphine, heroin, codeine, and papaverine are derived, comes from the milky latex in the unripe seed capsule of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is native to Turkey.
The cultivation of the opium poppy dates back to about 3000 BCE, with its pain-relieving and euphoric properties recognized by ancient civilizations.
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How do poppy seeds spread and help new plants grow?
Poppy seeds are dispersed through a mechanism that relies on wind. The poppy capsule has pores near the top, and as the wind sways the slender fruit stalk back and forth, the seeds are thrown out. This method of seed dispersal is known as anemochory, where wind action is critical for scattering the seeds. After the seeds are released, they can grow into new poppy plants.
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poppy, any of several flowering plants of the poppy family (Papaveraceae), especially species of the genus Papaver. Most poppies are found in the Northern Hemisphere, and several species of poppies are cultivated as garden ornamentals.
Physical description
Poppies have lobed or dissected leaves and milky sap. The buds are often nodding and are borne on solitary stalks. The flowers have four to six petals with numerous stamens surrounding the ovary. The two sepals usually drop off as the petals unfold. The ovary develops into a spherical capsule topped by a disk formed by the stigmas. The many small seeds escape from pores beneath the disk when the capsule is shaken by the wind.
Major Papaver species
Opium, from which morphine, heroin, codeine, and papaverine are derived, comes from the milky latex in the unripe seed capsule of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is native to Turkey. An annual plant, it bears 13-cm- (5-inch-) wide purple flowers on plants 1 to 1.5 metres (about 3 to 5 feet) tall, with lobed or toothed silver-green foliage. The opium poppy is also grown for its nonnarcotic ripe seeds, which are used for seasoning, for oil, and in baked goods (see poppy seed). White-, pink-, and red-flowered strains with double or semidouble blooms have been developed as garden ornamentals.
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About 50 other species of Papaver are grown for their attractive flowers and interestingly cut foliage. The Oriental poppy (P. orientale), native to the Middle East, has 15-cm (6-inch) scarlet, salmon, pink, white, or red blooms on 1.2-metre- (4-foot-) tall long-lived perennial plants. The white-and-red or white-and-pink Shirley poppy is an annual variety developed from the corn poppy (P. rhoeas). The long-headed poppy (P. dubium) is an annual similar to the corn poppy but with narrower, tapering capsules and smaller, paler flowers. The Iceland poppy (P. nudicaule), from Arctic North America, is a short-lived perennial 30 cm (12 inches) tall with fragrant white, orange, reddish, or bicoloured 8-cm (3-inch) flowers. The peacock poppy (P. pavoninum)—with scarlet petals bearing a dark spot at the base in 2.5-cm (1-inch) blooms on 30-cm- (12-inch-) tall plants—is an annual from Central Asia.
Other poppies
The poppy family is well represented in western North America, with at least 13 genera. California is particularly rich in native species. The best known of these is the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), an annual with brilliant orange-coloured flowers that is extensively naturalized in California, Australia, and India.
Other ornamental members of the poppy family include the Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri), with 15-cm (6-inch) fragrant white flowers on a 2.4-metre- (7.9-foot-) tall perennial herbaceous plant native to southwestern North America; the plume poppies, members of the Asian genus Macleaya, grown for their interestingly lobed giant leaves and 2-metre- (6.6-foot-) tall flower spikes; plants of the genus Bocconia, mild-climate woody shrubs native to tropical America, prized for their large cut leaves; the snow poppy (Eomecon chionantha), a perennial from China, with white cuplike flowers in sprays; and the flaming poppy (Stylomecon heterophylla), with purple-centred brick-red flowers on an annual plant from western North America. The genus Meconopsis includes the Welsh poppy.