Flora of North America species comparison

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Papaver somniferum

Papaver argemone

common garden poppy, common poppy, opium poppy, pavot (commun)

long prickly-head poppy, pale rough fruit poppy, prickly pod poppy
Habit Plants to 15 dm, glabrate, glaucous. Plants to 5 dm, hispid.
Stems

simple or branching.

simple or branching.
Leaves

to 30 cm;

blade sometimes sparsely setose abaxially on midrib;

margins usually shallowly to deeply toothed.

to 12[-20] cm.
Inflorescences

peduncle often sparsely setose.

peduncle appressed-hispid.
Flowers

petals white, pink, red, or purple, often with dark or pale basal spot, to 6 cm;

anthers pale yellow;

stigmas 5-18, disc ± flat.

petals dark red, sometimes with dark basal spot, to 25 mm;

anthers pale blue;

stigmas 4-6, disc convex and radially vaulted.
Capsules

stipitate, subglobose, not ribbed, to 9 cm, glaucous.

sessile, oblong to clavate, distinctly ribbed, to 2 cm, sparsely and weakly setose.

Papaver somniferum

Papaver argemone
Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Fields, clearings, stream banks, railroads, roadsides, and other disturbed sites Fields and disturbed sites
Elevation 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft) 0-300 m (0-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CT; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OR; PA; TX; UT; VA; VT; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; SK; Greenland; Europe; Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR; PA; UT; Europe; sw Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Unknown in the wild, Papaver somniferum probably came originally from southeastern Europe and/or southwestern Asia. It has been cultivated for centuries as the source of opium (and its modern derivatives heroin, morphine, and codeine), and also for edible seeds and oil. Various color forms with laciniate and/or doubled petals are grown for ornament. Widely introduced from cultivation and also as a crop weed, it should be expected elsewhere in the flora.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In its native range, Papaver argemone is a complex of five diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid subspecies (J. W. Kadereit 1986, 1990). Apparently two or more of these have been represented among the crop weeds and ballast waifs introduced in North America, where plants are difficult to assign to particular subspecies. The species should be expected elsewhere in the flora. Collections attributed to Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia are known also, but they lack more specific citations of locality.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Papaver Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Argemonidium
Sibling taxa
P. alboroseum, P. argemone, P. californicum, P. dubium, P. gorodkovii, P. hybridum, P. lapponicum, P. macounii, P. mcconnellii, P. nudicaule, P. orientale, P. pygmaeum, P. radicatum, P. rhoeas, P. walpolei
P. alboroseum, P. californicum, P. dubium, P. gorodkovii, P. hybridum, P. lapponicum, P. macounii, P. mcconnellii, P. nudicaule, P. orientale, P. pygmaeum, P. radicatum, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum, P. walpolei
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 508. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 506. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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