Burke: Papaver somniferum vs. Papaver argemone

	Papaver somniferum	Papaver argemone
	opium poppy	long prickly-head poppy
Habit	Glaucous annual, the usually simple stems 3-10 dm. tall, glabrous below.	Erect, stiff-hairy annual, the stems simple or branching, 1.5-5 dm. tall.
Leaves	Leaves alternate, sessile and cordate-clasping, shallowly lobed, the lobes toothed, the margins somewhat crinkly.	Leaves alternate, basal and cauline, bipinnately dissected.
Flowers	Flowers single on long, bristly, terminal peduncles; sepals 2, separately early-deciduous; petals 4, white to purple, large, wavy-margined; stamens numerous; style absent, stigma sessile, disk-like, with 5-15 round, stigmatic ridges.	Flowers single on long, coarsely-hairy peduncles, nodding in the bud; receptacle not flared; sepals 2, 5-10 mm. long, bristly, separately early-deciduous; petals 4, scarlet with a black base, 1.5-2.2 cm. long, obovate; stamens numerous; style absent, stigma sessile, disk-like, with 5-15 round, stigmatic ridges.
Fruits	Capsule glabrous, sub-globose, 2.5-5 cm. long.	Capsule oblong-obovoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, prominently ribbed, covered with stiff bristles.

	Papaver somniferum	Papaver argemone
Flowering time	May-July	May-June
Habitat	Waste areas, roadsides, and other disturbed areas.	Fields, roadsides, wasteltots, and other disturbed areas.
Distribution	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across various parts of North America to the Atlantic Coast. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Introduced from Eurasia	Introduced from Europe
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. argemone, P. dubium, P. rhoeas	P. dubium, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Papaver somniferum

Papaver argemone

opium poppy

long prickly-head poppy

Habit

Glaucous annual, the usually simple stems 3-10 dm. tall, glabrous below.

Erect, stiff-hairy annual, the stems simple or branching, 1.5-5 dm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves alternate, sessile and cordate-clasping, shallowly lobed, the lobes toothed, the margins somewhat crinkly.

Leaves alternate, basal and cauline, bipinnately dissected.

Flowers

Flowers single on long, bristly, terminal peduncles;

sepals 2, separately early-deciduous;

petals 4, white to purple, large, wavy-margined;

stamens numerous;

style absent, stigma sessile, disk-like, with 5-15 round, stigmatic ridges.

Flowers single on long, coarsely-hairy peduncles, nodding in the bud;

receptacle not flared;

sepals 2, 5-10 mm. long, bristly, separately early-deciduous;

petals 4, scarlet with a black base, 1.5-2.2 cm. long, obovate;

stamens numerous;

style absent, stigma sessile, disk-like, with 5-15 round, stigmatic ridges.

Fruits

Capsule glabrous, sub-globose, 2.5-5 cm. long.

Capsule oblong-obovoid, 1.5-2 cm. long, prominently ribbed, covered with stiff bristles.

Papaver somniferum

Papaver argemone

Flowering time

May-July

May-June

Habitat

Waste areas, roadsides, and other disturbed areas.

Fields, roadsides, wasteltots, and other disturbed areas.

Distribution

Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across various parts of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]