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

oriental poppy

Habit Plants to 15 dm, glabrate, glaucous. Plants to 10 dm, hispid.
Stems

simple or branching.

simple or rarely branching.

Leaves

to 30 cm;

blade sometimes sparsely setose abaxially on midrib;

margins usually shallowly to deeply toothed.

to 35 cm.

Inflorescences

peduncle often sparsely setose.

peduncle moderately to densely appressed pale hispid;

bracts sometimes 1-4 just beneath flower.

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 light orange to orange-red, usually with pale basal spot, sometimes dark-spotted or unspotted, to 6 cm;

anthers violet;

stigmas (8-)11-15, disc flat or shallowly convex.

Capsules

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

sessile, subglobose, obscurely ribbed, to 2.5 cm, glaucous.

Papaver somniferum

Papaver orientale

Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Fields, clearings, stream banks, railroads, roadsides, and other disturbed sites Fields, clearings, roadsides, and 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
CO; IA; MI; NJ; PA; UT; VA; WI; ON; sw Asia [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.)

An alpine species in its native range, Papaver orientale is widely grown for ornament and sometimes persists after spreading from cultivation. It should be expected elsewhere in the flora.

Papaver bracteatum Lindley, which some authors have included in P. orientale, is similar but more robust, with buds erect, sepals subtended by 3-5 sepaloid and 2 foliaceous bracts, flowers to 20 cm diam., deep red petals with dark basal spot, and capsules to 4 cm. It is widely cultivated and may occasionally escape but apparently does not become naturalized.

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

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3, p. 326.
Parent taxa Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Papaver Papaveraceae > Papaver > sect. Macrantha
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. macounii, P. mcconnellii, P. nudicaule, P. pygmaeum, P. radicatum, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum, P. walpolei
Synonyms P. pseudoörientale
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 508. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 508. (1753)
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