Papaver somniferum

Plant Characteristics

Lifespan:	⌛	annual

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun, part-sun
Water:	◍	moist, moderate
Features:	✓	flowers, invasive, bees, cut flowers
Flower features:	❀	red, orange, yellow, green, purple, multicolored, pink, white, single, double

Scientific Names

Papaveraceae >

Papaver >

somniferum >

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Read about Papaver somniferum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Papaver somniferum, Linn. (P. opilferum, Forsk. P. nigrum, Crantz). Opium Poppy. Fig. 2751. Robust, glaucous and glabrous annual, 3-4 ft. high, with fls. 4-5 in. across, much larger than those of any annual kind: lvs. oblong, unequally toothed at the base; st.-lvs. cordate at the base, sinuate-repand to dentate-serrate, very glaucous, clasping: fl.-bud ovoid-oblong, somewhat obtuse at apex, glabrous; petals orbiculate, entire, undulate or cut, from white through pink and red to purple, but not yellow or blue : caps, globose, glabrous, with a flat 8-12-lobed disk. Greece, Orient.— Sparingly run wild in N. Amer. Very variable in color of seeds, characters of caps., and form and color of petals. Var. album, DC. (P. officinale, Gmel.), has fls. and seeds white: caps, ovate-globose. Among the double horticultural forms of P. somniferum are two main strains or types, the carnation-fld. and the peony-fld. (the latter P. paeoniaeflorum, Hort.). The former has fringed petals; the latter not. Both include a wide range of color, and even a yellow form has been advertised, but this form is of doubtful authenticity. P. Mursellii is another strain of double fringed kinds, of which Mikado is a favorite. P. fim- briatum is another trade name for double fringed varieties. P. cardinale is the French name of another strain of double fringed fls. Chinese poppies are a double-fld. race intro. from Chinese gardens early in 1890, and comprising dwarfer strains than previously known. R.H. 1893, p. 349. An exceptionally interesting monstrosity has occurred in which there are no petals, and the stamens are supposed to be transformed into pistils which actually ripen seed. It was figured as long ago as 1851 in F.S. 6, p. 242, and again in R.H. 1893, p. 349. It seems to be no longer advertised, but it was considered to be constant. Among the single varieties, Danebrog is one of the most striking and popular. The white spots at the base of the petals form a cross. This variety is also known as Danish Cross, Danish Flag and Victorian Cross. Of the pure white kinds, Flag of Truce and The Bride are favorites. Mephisto is scarlet, spotted black. About a dozen other varieties are advertised by name. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Gallery

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  Opium Poppy
  from Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

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  A field of opium poppy in Burma.

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  Ornamental poppy at Chatsworth House, UK

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  Immature crowning opium poppy, top view

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  Opium poppies

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  Opium poppies during a harvest

References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Papaver somniferum. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Papaver somniferum QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)