Common Name: Opium Poppy

General Information

Papaver somniferum is an erect annual plant growing from 50 - 150cm tall.
A very ornamental plant, it is often cultivated in the flower garden and is also commonly cultivated for its edible seed and medicinal uses[]. The plant is widely grown, often illegally, in warm temperate and tropical climates for the compounds contained in its sap. These are often used medicinally as pain killers, especially in the treatment of terminally ill patients suffering extreme pain, they are also used for their narcotic effects by some people. These substances are highly addictive and lead to a shortening of the life span if used with any frequency.

Known Hazards

This plant contains a number of very toxic compounds, many of which are extracted and used as pain killers etc in medicine. They are also used to make various highly addictive narcotic drugs[, , , ]. However, in the cooler climate of Britain these compounds are not formed in sufficient quantity to make their extraction worthwhile. There are no toxins in the seeds[, , ].

Botanical References

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Range

Original habitat obscure, but appearing native in Macaronesia and the western Mediterranean region. A rare casual in Britain.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Papaver somniferum is a plant mainly of the subtropics, though it can be cultivated in the temperate zone and tropics[]. Usually grown at higher elevations in the tropics, it does not thrive in the per-humid tropical lowlands[]. It can be grown at elevations up to 2,400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 24°c, but can tolerate 3 - 28°c[]. Mature plants can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,700mm[].
Prefers a rich well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position[, ]. Requires a moist soil[] but does not do well on wet clays[]. Prefers a sandy loam or a chalky soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8.3[].
The opium poppy is widely grown as an ornamental, and is also cultivated for medicinal use. It is a prolific producer of seed and these have a very long viability in the soil. The plants can often be found as a weed in open places and disturbed soils.
Seed yields of 2.2 - 3.0 tonnes per hectare are possible, although 1.2 - 1.8 tonnes are more usual[]. The optimum yield of dry capsules is 2.0 tonnes[]
There are many named varieties, some of which have been developed for their edible uses[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[, , ]. Much used as a flavouring in cakes, bread, fruit salads etc[], it imparts a very nice nutty flavour[]. The crushed and sweetened seeds are used as a filling in crepes, strudels, pastries etc[]. Highly nutritious, the seed contains about 22.7% protein, 48% fat, 9.8% carbohydrate, 7.1% ash[]. It is also a good source of lecithin[]. The seeds are rather small, but there are large numbers of them contained in capsules 3cm or more in diameter and so they are easy to harvest and utilize[]. The seeds are perfectly safe to eat, containing very little if any of the narcotic principles[, , ]. However, although the seeds contain no narcotic alkaloids, analysis of the urine following their ingestion may produce similar results to the analysis of the urine of morphine or heroin addicts[].

Edible young leaves - raw or cooked[]. They must be used before the flower buds have formed[]. In some countries they are eaten at the seedling stage[]. One report says that the leaves do not contain any narcotic principles[]. Some caution is advised, see notes at top of the page.

A high quality edible drying oil is obtained from the seed. It has an almond flavour[] and makes a good substitute for olive oil[, , , , ].

Medicinal

The opium poppy contains a wide range of alkaloids and has been a very valuable medicine, especially useful in bringing relief from pain. Its use (especially of the extracted alkaloids opium and morphine which it contains) can become addictive, however, and so it should be treated with extreme caution and only be used under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[].

The dried juice (latex) from the unripe green seed vessels is a rich source of the active alkaloids, including morphine[, ]. It is extracted by making shallow incisions in the capsules as soon as the petals have fallen[]. Care must be taken that the incisions do not penetrate to the interior of the seed capsules[]. The latex exudes from the capsules and dries in contact with the air - it is then scraped off[]. This latex is anodyne, antitussive, astringent, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, hypnotic, narcotic and sedative[, , , , , ]. As well as its pain-relieving properties, the latex has also been used as an antispasmodic and expectorant in treating certain kinds of coughs, whilst its astringent properties make it useful in the treatment of dysentery etc[].

A homeopathic remedy is made from the dried latex[]. This is used in the treatment of a variety of complaints, including constipation, fevers and insomnia[].

Other Uses

The seed yields 44 - 50% of an edible drying oil[]. Very good for lighting, it burns for longer than most oils[]. The oil is also used in paints, soap making etc[, ]. Poppy seed oil is a typical semi-drying oil which is used in artists’ paints, soaps after dehydrogenation and in oleochemical processing as a source of linoleic acid[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ[].

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