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Papaver somniferum - L.

Opium Poppy

Author	L.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Papaveraceae	Genus	Papaver
Synonyms
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[7, 10, 19, 65]. 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[10, 46, 65].
Range	Europe to Asia, though the original habitat is obscure. A rare casual in Britain.
Habitat	Not known in a truly wild situation.
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	4 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.6m by 0.2m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Hungarian Blue Seeded'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Seed.

Edible Uses: Oil.

Seed - raw or cooked[2, 14, 15]. Much used as a flavouring in cakes, bread, fruit salads etc[183], it imparts a very nice nutty flavour[K]. The crushed and sweetened seeds are used as a filling in crepes, strudels, pastries etc[183]. Highly nutritious, the seed contains about 22.7% protein, 48% fat, 9.8% carbohydrate, 7.1% ash[179]. It is also a good source of lecithin[269]. 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[K]. The seeds are perfectly safe to eat, containing very little if any of the narcotic principles[10, 65, 238]. 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[269]. Edible young leaves - raw or cooked[183]. They must be used before the flower buds have formed[179]. In some countries they are eaten at the seedling stage[269]. One report says that the leaves do not contain any narcotic principles[179]. 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[238] and makes a good substitute for olive oil[21, 46, 57, 89, 183].

Composition

Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.

Seed (Fresh weight)

• 533 Calories per 100g
• Water: 6.8%
• Protein: 18g; Fat: 44.7g; Carbohydrate: 23.7g; Fibre: 6.3g; Ash: 6.8g;
• Minerals - Calcium: 1448mg; Phosphorus: 848mg; Iron: 9.4mg; Magnesium: 2.3mg; Sodium: 21mg; Potassium: 700mg; Zinc: 0mg;
• Vitamins - A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 0.95mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.17mg; Niacin: 0.98mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;
• Reference: [269]
• Notes: 

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Anodyne; Antispasmodic; Antitussive; Astringent; Diaphoretic; Emmenagogue; Expectorant; Homeopathy; Hypnotic; Narcotic; Sedative.

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[244]. The dried juice (latex) from the unripe green seed vessels is a rich source of the active alkaloids, including morphine[232, 240]. It is extracted by making shallow incisions in the capsules as soon as the petals have fallen[4]. Care must be taken that the incisions do not penetrate to the interior of the seed capsules[4]. The latex exudes from the capsules and dries in contact with the air - it is then scraped off[4]. This latex is anodyne, antitussive, astringent, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, hypnotic, narcotic and sedative[4, 7, 13, 176, 192, 218]. 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[4]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the dried latex[232]. This is used in the treatment of a variety of complaints, including constipation, fevers and insomnia[232].

Other Uses

The seed yields 44 - 50% of an edible drying oil[61]. Very good for lighting, it burns for longer than most oils[115]. The oil is also used in paints, soap making etc[46, 57].

Cultivation details

Prefers a rich well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position[4, 200]. Requires a moist soil[14] but does not do well on wet clays[115]. Prefers a sandy loam or a chalky soil[115]. Plants often self-sow in British gardens. The opium poppy is a very ornamental plant that is often cultivated in the flower garden[1]. There are many named varieties, some of which have been developed for their edible uses[183]. The plant is widely grown, often illegally, in warm temperate and tropical climates for the substances 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. In cool temperate zones the plant does not produce sufficient of the narcotic principles to make their extraction feasible[4] and cultivation of the plant is perfectly legal in Britain[K]. Plants have ripened their seeds as far north as latitude 69°n in Norway[141]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ[200].

Cultivars

'Hungarian Blue Seeded'

The seed capsules are large and contain numerous seeds[183]. This is the cultivar most commonly grown for its edible seeds, which are used in cakes etc and for oil extraction[183].

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[10] Altmann. H. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8
A small book, reasonable but not very detailed.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[15] Bryan. J. and Castle. C. Edible Ornamental Garden. Pitman Publishing 1976 ISBN 0-273-00098-5
A small book with interesting ideas for edible plants in the ornamental garden.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[19] Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3
Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man. 0
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 0
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.

[141] Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986 ISBN 0704909820
Some suggested alternative commercial crops for Britain. Readable. Produced by a University study group.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.

[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[192] Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants Studio Vista 1979 ISBN 0-289-70864-8
A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[232] Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan. London. 1990 ISBN 0-333-55581-3
A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Papaver somniferum

Thu Dec 30 07:30:06 2004

This plant is found in Malta/Mediterranean basin/Europe

More comprehensive details, medicinal properties, uses, botanical data, plant description and photogallery of high resolutions photos of this plant can be seen on an interesting website about the wild plants of Malta: www.maltawildplants.com

Link: Malta Wild Plants Website and photography by Stephen Mifsud, Malta.

Papaver somniferum

POPPY SMURF Thu Aug 9 2007

IF THE PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM DOES NOT PRODUCE THE TOXIC ALKALOIDS SUCH AS MORPHIN, CODIENE etc. THEN WHY ARE FARMERS IN OXFORDSHIRE AND OTHER PLACES PRODUCING CROPS FOR DRUG COMPANYS AND EVENTUALLY THE NHS?

Papaver somniferum

dede liss Tue Jul 1 2008

I heard you can use poppy leaves in cooking. Is that all types of poppy leaves? When is the best time to eat them? Dede

Papaver somniferum

somnifredum Mon Aug 4 2008

No need to shout - We aint deaf. :-x Where does it say that?. Its an Opium Poppy...of course those alkaloids are produced, but not in the same quantity as say from Afghanistan, China, etc. Our climate (GB) aint the quite up to it.

Papaver somniferum

Mon Sep 29 2008

I'm afraid you are misinforming people, pfaf. 'There are no toxins in the seeds[10, 46, 65].' This is completely wrong, the seeds contain many alkaloids such as Morphine, traces of Codeine and Thebaine etc. Also there is a reported case of someone dying from Poppy Seed Tea (google it) but admittedly you'd have to do a lot.

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