Flora of North America species comparison

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Papaver somniferum

Papaver hybridum

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

rough poppy, round pricklyhead poppy
Habit Plants to 15 dm, glabrate, glaucous. Plants to 5 dm, hispid.
Stems

simple or branching.

branching.
Leaves

to 30 cm;

blade sometimes sparsely setose abaxially on midrib;

margins usually shallowly to deeply toothed.

to 10 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 early caducous, red to purplish red, with dark basal spot, to 25 mm;

anthers pale blue;

ovaries setose;

stigmas 4-8, disc convex and radially vaulted.
Capsules

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

sessile, obovoid-ellipsoid to subglobose, obscurely to distinctly ribbed, to 1.5 cm, densely and firmly setose, stigmatic disc often deciduous.

Papaver somniferum

Papaver hybridum
Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Fields, clearings, stream banks, railroads, roadsides, and other disturbed sites Fields, vineyards, and disturbed sites
Elevation 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft) 0-700 m (0-2300 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
CA; NC; PA; SC; Eurasia; n Africa [Introduced in North America]
[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.)

Papaver hybridum should be expected elsewhere in the flora. Some California collections of this crop weed have been misidentified as Papaver apulum Tenore var. micranthum (Boreau) Fedde, which is not known to occur in the flora.

(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
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. argemone, P. californicum, P. dubium, P. gorodkovii, 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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