Poppy

Poppy is the common name given to the plant genus known by the scientific name of Papaver. The poppy is a symbol of death, rebirth, and remembrance. There are more than 60 species in the genus Papaver. They also produce so many seeds that one seed head could fill an entire field. The most popular species in the genus is the opium poppy, a harmful drug used by many people today. Despite its bad reputation, the poppy genus also provides food (i.e. poppy seeds).

Body Design
All the species of this genus have a gray-green foliage with short-lived flowers. These flowers are saucer-shaped, bowl-shaped, or cup-shaped and there are many different colors. The flowers have 2 or 3 sepals (one of the leaves between the petals and the stem) and 4 to 6 distinct petals. Some of their main colors are red, purple, white, and pink. The stem can reach 20-60 centimeters in height and the flower diameter is 5-10 centimeters wide. The stamen (male fertilizing organ of a flower) have violet colored anthers (containing pollen) and their stigma (part of a pistil that receives the pollen during pollination) are equipped with 8-14 radially arranged rays. Their branching stems are covered in stiff hairs with leaves that are narrow and divided into toothed segments.

The poppy is an erect, herbaceous plant. The leaves are once or twice pinnately lobed (lobes arranged on either side of the central axis), but the upper leaves are sessile (fixed in one place) and attached to the stem without a stalk (the main stem). Poppies are an annual herb that can grow up to 60 centimeters in height. It has a white, milky substance called latex and slender roots.

Life Cycle
Poppy seedlings appear in the spring from June to September, making them annual plants. Each single plant can produce up to 60,000 seeds. This results with in a yearly cycle of sowing seeds. The common poppy has seeds that can be dormant for over 80 years. Papaver plants have small seeds that are released through small pores on the top of the capsule, which is smooth and hairless. The capsule of the genus is 1-2 centimeters and is no more than twice as long as it is wide.

The common poppy is an easy plant to grow for gardeners. They grow fast and their true leaves set in just a few weeks. They can be planted in soil, inside or outside, and will germinate within 10-20 days. The buds will set in within a week and the flowers will bloom afterwards. The new flowers can reach up to 2-5 inches across in nature, but when cultivated they can grow to be as long as 7 inches. Once the flower has finished, the petals will drop and the ovary center swells for weeks. Inside are the seeds and they will open the capsules and release the seeds. Wind and animals play important roles in transporting the seeds to sprouting areas. The seeds are dark brown or black and are very tiny. Each seed capsule contains hundreds of seeds.

Ecology
Studies say that poppy is native to southern Europe, North Africa, and the temperate regions of Asia, but it has become naturalized outside of its native range. Poppy was introduced during the Bronze Age to Britian. Early settlers likely brought seeds, coinciding with the introduction of agriculture. Poppy is now widespread throughout Britian, but is rare in northwestern Scotland.

Their preferred habitat is a rich, well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position. They require moist soil but do not thrive in wet sediments. In cooler temperate zones the plant would not be able to thrive or make narcotic metabolites. Members of this genus are rarely fed on by browsing herbivores.

Other Uses

 * Main Article: Opium poppy
 * Main Article: Heroin

The most popular species in the Papaver genus is Papaver somniferum. This species is the source of opium. Opium is extracted from the poppy heads before they have ripened. Once the petals have fallen off the flower, an incision is made on the wall of the unripe seed capsule without penetrating the interior. The juice that exudes, partially dried, is collected by scraping, then formed into cakes. The cakes are then wrapped in opium leaves or paper and then left out in the sun to dry some more. The white milky substance will darken when left out to dry. The color of the opium could be yellow to a dark brown and will have a distinct odor and bitter taste. The raw opium can be ground into powder, cakes, sold as lumps, or bricks. The color of the opium could be yellow to a dark brown and a distinct odor and bitter taste. Opium is thought to be the first authentic antidepressant in the world. At first opium was viewed as a medicine, not as a recreational drug. Opium gives the user gentle, dream-like hallucinations. Lower dosages of this drug may be pleasantly stimulating, rather than soporific. Larger doses slow the user's heart rate and breathing, which could result in a coma or death. Long-term use can result in decreased mental function, kidney failure, physical dependence, and addiction.

The poppy plant is also the source of the drugs heroin, morphine, and codeine, which are opiates.

A user takes opium by eating it, drinking it, or injecting it. The drug is usually sold in the form of powder or a sticky solution. The most common way to use opium is by smoking it, because the drug enters the brain faster through smoking than through eating or drinking. The user will heat the opium from a distance and breathe in the smoke. Opium has harmful long-term and short-term effects. Opium may potentially harm the user's lungs and other important organs and heighten the user's anxiety level. Opium rarely causes deaths from overdose, but if the drug is refined into heroin or morphine, death is most likely to occur during an overdose. Uncomfortable side effects of opium are constipation, dry mouths, dehydration, and frequent urination. Smoking this drug may lead to some risky behaviors, but this side effect will often wear off in 4-6 hours. Some long-term effects of opium are damage to internal organs and dependence. A user could become addicted to opium within a few weeks after use, and the best way to avoid these effects is to not use opium.

Video
Documentary on the plant species Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy.

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