Flora of North America species comparison

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Papaver somniferum

Papaver macounii

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

Macoun's poppy
Habit Plants to 15 dm, glabrate, glaucous. Plants loosely cespitose, with persistent leaf bases.
Stems

simple or branching.

Leaves

to 30 cm;

blade sometimes sparsely setose abaxially on midrib;

margins usually shallowly to deeply toothed.

petiole to 3/4 length of leaf;

blade lanceolate, 1-2x-lobed;

primary lobes generally lanceolate, sometimes strap-shaped, apex acute or obtuse.
Inflorescences

peduncle often sparsely setose.

scapes erect.
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.

Capsules

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

more than 4 times longer than broad.

Papaver somniferum

Papaver macounii
Phenology Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Fields, clearings, stream banks, railroads, roadsides, and other disturbed sites
Elevation 0-1300 m (0-4300 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
AK; NT; YT; Russia
[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.)

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Plants robust; persistent leaf bases numerous, firm, acuminate; leaf blades green on both surfaces, hispid.
subsp. macounii
1. Plants slender; persistent leaf bases few, flexible, lanceolate; leaf blades light green or glaucous abaxially, dark green adaxially, glabrate to densely pilose.
subsp. discolor
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Papaver Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Meconella
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. hybridum, P. lapponicum, P. mcconnellii, P. nudicaule, P. orientale, P. pygmaeum, P. radicatum, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum, P. walpolei
Subordinate taxa
P. macounii subsp. discolor, P. macounii subsp. macounii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 508. (1753) Greene: Pittonia 3: 247. (1897)
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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