FAQ :: Papaver Taxonomy :: What is an Opium Poppy?
Papaver Somniferum, aka the Opium Poppy, is a hardy annual that can grow almost anywhere in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. There are many different species of papaveraceae, but none is as prized as the somniferum, for both its beauty and its seeds, which are used in baking and in the production of cooking oil. It is striking in appearance, with stunningly colourful blooms, and stark mournful pods. Its pods are often dried and used in flower arrangements. Papaver Somniferum has also been used medicinally for centuries; as a painkiller, muscle relaxant, diarrhoea remedy, and intoxicant.
From Wikipedia: Papaver somniferum, is the type of poppy from which opium and all refined opiates such as morphine are extracted, as well as an important food item. There are many varieties of this poppy species. Colors of the flower vary widely, as do other physical characteristics (number and shape of petals, number of pods, production of morphine, etc.). Possession of any part of Papaver somniferum other than the seed is outlawed in the United States and is listed as a Schedule II controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to its narcotic properties.
Search Poppies.org
Poppies.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Canada License.