Field Poppy


Field Poppy

There are 70 species of annuals and perennials in this genus, which occur in a wide range of habitats in S and C Europe, and temperate Asia, with a few species in South Africa, Australia, and western N America. Papaver rhoeas is the Flanders poppy, which appeared in vast numbers on the battlefields around Ypres and the Somme following World War I, and the origin of the poppies worn on Rememberance Day (November 11) in the UK. Coincidentally, it has been a symbol of blood and new life since ancient Egyptian times. In horticultural terms, P. rhoeas is renowned as the parent of the ornamental Shirley poppies, raised in Shirley, Warwickshire, in the 19th century by the Rev. William Wilks, who found a pale-centered specimen in his garden in the summer of 1879 or 1880. All poppies contain bitter latex and have showy, short-lived, four-petaled flowers, followed by pepperpot capsules, which at every stage make attractive annuals for borders and wildflower gardens. Cultivars of the opium poppy (P. somniferum) are popular ornamentals, too, though it is illegal to grow this species in some countries. Medicinal uses of opium were first described on clay tablets by the Sumerians, who dominated SW Asia int he 4th millenium BCE. Papaver somniferum is now cultivated on a large scale as the source of major analgesics and the illicit drug heroin (diamorphine). It contains 26 alkaloids, the most important being morphine and codeine. Morphine is an extremely potent painkiller but is addictive and therefore normally reserved for patients with severly painful, terminal illnesses. Alkaloids are separated for specific uses or given as a total extract, known as "papaveretum", which is widely used as an pre-operative analgesic and relaxant. The two main kinds of opium poppy are grown commercially; subsp. somniferum and subsp. hortense, for opium production and for seeds for culinary use, respectively. The seeds of both P. rhoeas and P. somniferum are alkaloid-free and safe for all culinary purposes. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine, mainly for digestive problems. Papaver rhoeas contains different, less potent alkaloids and a red pigment. The Mexican poppy, Argemone mexicana, contains alkaloids similar to those in P. somniferum and a milky latex that is used in parts of S America to treat warts, cold sores, and cataracts.

Annual with upright, hairy stems, and hairy, light green leaves, to 15cm (6in) long, divided into lanceolate segments. Solitary, bowl-shaped, 4-petaled, bright red flowers, 5-10cm (2-4in) across, sometimes marked black in the center are borne on long stems in summer.


Common Name:
Field Poppy
Other Names:
Corn Poppy
Botanical Name:
Papaver rhoeas
Genus:
Papaver
Family:
Papaveraceae
Native Location:
Eurasia and N Africa, widely naturalized
Cultivation:
Well-drained soil in sun. Leaves may be damaged by downy mildew. Papaver somniferum is subject to statuatory control as an illicit plant or weed in some countries, notably in the USA and parts of Australia.
Propagation:
By seed sown in autumn or spring. Papaver rhoeas, P. somniferum, and their cultivars self-sow freely, but cultivars tend to revert. Poppies resent disturbance and rarely transplant successfully.
Harvest:
Petals are collected as flowers open, and dried for use whole, or in infusions and syrups (P. rhoeas). Seeds are harvested from ripe capsules and dried for use whole, ground, or infusions. Oil is pressed from ripe seeds (mostly from P. somniferum). Latex (raw opium) and various alkaloids are extracted from green capsules after petal fall. (P. somniferum).
Height:
20-90cm (8-36in)
Width:
10-45cm (4-18in)
Variations:
Mother of Pearl
Has single and semi-double flowers in pastel shades of dusky pink, lilac, gray, and pink-flushed white, often speckled and sometimes bicolored.
Height: 25-35cm (10-14cm)
Shirley Series
Has single, semi-double, and double flowers in shades of pink, rose, salmon, crimson, and white, always with a pale center.
Height: 60cm (24in)
Width: 30cm (12in)
Hardiness:
Hardy
Parts Used:
Flowers, seeds.
Properties:
A sweet, astringent, sedative herb that relieves pain, relaxes spasms, is expectorant, and improved digestion.
Medicinal Uses:
Internally for irritating coughs, asthma, insomnia, poor digestion, nervous digestive disorders, and minor painful conditions (petals).
Culinary Uses:
Seeds are used , whole or ground, in similar ways to those of P. somniferum.
Economic Uses:
Petals of red-flowered plants are used to color medicines and wine.
Warning:
All parts of Papaver species, except the seeds, are toxic if eaten. Cultivation of P. somniferum is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.
Bibliography:
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited Pp 301-302