Description

Opium poppy commonly known as the breadseed poppy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae. It is the species of plant from which both opium and poppy seeds are derived and is also a valuable ornamental plant, grown in gardens. Its native range is probably the eastern Mediterranean, but is now obscured by ancient introductions and cultivation, being naturalized across much of Europe and Asia.

Characteristics:

Opium poppy is the plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. It is an annual herb, 1-2 ft tall (up to 1.5 m in cultivation). Taproot is erect, almost conical. Stems are erect, glaucous, hairless. Alternately arranged leaves are ovate or oblong, 7-25 cm, both surfaces hairless, glaucous and rather waxy, with veins distinct, slightly raised, base heart- shaped, margin irregularly wavy-toothed, tip long pointed to blunt. Lower leaves are shortly stalked but upper ones are stalkless and stem-clasping. Flowers occur singly, deeply cup-shaped, 5-12 cm in diameter, born on long stalks up to 25 cm. Flower buds are nodding at first, erect when the flower opens fully, oval-oblong or broadly ovoid, 1.5-3.5 × 1-3 cm. Sepals are 2, green, broadly ovate, margin membranous. Petals are 4, white, pink, red, purple, or various, often with a dark basal blotch, roundish, 4-7 × 3-11 cm, margin wavy or variously lobed. Stamens are many, with white filaments 1-1.5 cm. Ovary is green, spherical, 1-2 cm in diameter, capped by stigmas united into compressed star-like disk. Capsule are brown when mature, spherical or oblong-elliptic, 4-9 × 4-5 cm. Seeds are many, black or deep gray. Poppy seeds are commonly used in both North and South Indian Cusine. They are called "khuskhus" in Hindi, "gasagasalu" in Telugu, "gasagasa" in Kannada, and "posto dana" in Bengali. Poppy seeds can be dry roasted and ground to be used in wet curry (curry paste) or dry curry.

Medicinal Uses:

Poppy is one of the most important medicinal plants. Traditionally, the dry opium was considered an astringent, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, diaphoretic, expectorant, hypnotic, narcotic, and sedative. Poppy has been used against toothaches and coughs. The ability of opium from poppy to serve as an analgesic is well known. Opium and derivatives of opium are used in the pharmaceutical industry as narcotic analgesics, hypnotics, and sedatives. Opium and the drugs derived from opium are addictive and can have toxicological effects.