Flora of North America species comparison

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Papaver somniferum

Papaver walpolei

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

walpole's poppy
Habit Plants to 15 dm, glabrate, glaucous. Plants densely cespitose, to 1(-2) dm.
Stems

simple or branching.

Leaves

to 30 cm;

blade sometimes sparsely setose abaxially on midrib;

margins usually shallowly to deeply toothed.

to 4 cm;

petiole to 3/4 length of leaf;

blade light green abaxially, dark green adaxially, sometimes glaucous, short-lanceolate, unlobed or 1x-lobed with 1(-2) pair(s) of lateral lobes, glabrous adaxially;

terminal lobe rarely with small secondary lobes, apex rounded.
Inflorescences

peduncle often sparsely setose.

scapes erect, glabrate to 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.

to 3 cm diam.;

petals yellow, or white with yellow basal spot;

anthers yellow;

stigmas 4-5, disc convex.
Capsules

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

turbinate to ellipsoid-obovoid, to 1 cm, sparsely to densely hirsute, trichomes light brown to black.
2n

= 14.

Papaver somniferum

Papaver walpolei
Phenology Flowering spring–summer. Flowering late May–Aug.
Habitat Fields, clearings, stream banks, railroads, roadsides, and other disturbed sites Exposed tundra uplands, especially calcareous fellfield and river gravels
Elevation 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft) 0-900 m (0-3000 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; YT; Asia (Russian Far East, Chukotka)
[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.)
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. macounii, P. mcconnellii, P. nudicaule, P. orientale, P. pygmaeum, P. radicatum, P. rhoeas, P. somniferum
Synonyms P. walpolei var. sulphureomaculatum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 508. (1753) A. E. Porsild: Rhodora 41: 231, plate 552, figs. 4-10. (1939)
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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