Common name: Opium Poppy, Common Poppy
Papaver somniferum L. APNI* Description: Glaucous or subglaucous annual to 1 m or more high.
Basal leaves to 12 cm long, slightly lobed, cordate, glaucous or sub-glaucous.
Peduncle hairy or sparsely hairy. Petals 4–8 cm long, pink with a purple spot at the base.
Capsule 15–50 mm diam., dehiscing by pores or indehiscent, with 7–9 stigmatic rays.
Distribution and occurrence: both cultivated and weedy forms widespread. Native of Asia, Europe.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP, *SFWP, ?LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *N.T. *S.A. *W.A.
Text by S.W.L. Jacobs
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Capsule indehiscent, globose, frequently to 5 cm diam.; plants with very few scattered stiff hairs | subsp. somniferum |
| Capsule dehiscing by pores, cylindrical to subglobose, usually <2 cm diam.; plant glaucous with scattered hairs | subsp. setigerum |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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