Papaver somniferum
Source of opium and poppy seeds, widely naturalised.
Papaver somniferum, called the opium poppy or breadseed poppy, belongs to the Papaveraceae family. This plant is the source of both opium and poppy seeds, and it also serves as an ornamental in gardens. Its likely native range covers Macaronesia and the western and central Mediterranean, but because people have grown and spread it since ancient times, its exact original range is now unclear. Today it has become naturalised in many temperate regions around the world.
The plant is an annual herb that reaches about 100 centimetres tall. It has a greyish-green, waxy look, with a few coarse hairs scattered on the stem and leaves. The large leaves are lobed; upper leaves wrap around the stem, while the lowest leaves have short stalks. Flowers measure 8 to 18 centimetres across and usually have four petals in red, white, or mauve, often with a dark spot at each petal’s base. The fruit is a smooth, round capsule topped with 12 to 18 radiating stigmatic rays, like a fluted cap. Any wounded part of the plant oozes white latex.
The opium poppy’s likely native range covers Macaronesia and the western and central Mediterranean. However, centuries of cultivation and introduction across Europe have hidden its true origins. It has escaped from gardens or been deliberately introduced, becoming naturalised throughout the British Isles—especially in the south and east—and in nearly all other countries with suitable temperate climates. Archaeological remains from the Bronze Age include its seeds.
Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus gave the species its accepted name in 1753, on page 508 of his *Species Plantarum*. It sits in the genus *Papaver* within the family Papaveraceae. There are two accepted subspecies and one natural hybrid between them. The hybrid, *Papaver somniferum* nothosubsp. *authemanii*, comes from France; it was first described as a hybrid in 1893 and reclassified to its current name in 2012. The subspecies *Papaver somniferum* subsp. *setigerum* was originally named *Papaver setigerum* in 1815 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, then reclassified as a subspecies in 1882 by Giovanni Arcangeli. Its native range stretches from Morocco to Libya in North Africa and from Portugal to Italy in southern Europe. The autonymic subspecies, *Papaver somniferum* subsp. *somniferum*, is a cultigen—a plant shaped by human selection. In total, the opium poppy has around 30–40 synon
- field
- Botany
- known_for
- Source of opium and poppy seeds; ornamental plant
- native_range
- Macaronesia, western and central Mediterranean
- height
- Up to 100 cm (40 in)
- flower_diameter
- 8–18 cm (3–7 in)
- subspecies
- Two accepted subspecies and one natural hybrid
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Papaver
- Species
- somniferum
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Papaver somniferum is an annual herb growing to about 100 centimetres tall, with a glaucous, greyish-green appearance and sparse coarse hairs. Its large, lobed leaves clasp the stem, and its flowers, up to 8–18 cm in diameter, normally have four red, white, or mauve petals, often with a dark patch at the base. The fruit is a hairless, rounded capsule topped with 12–18 radiating stigmatic rays, and all parts exude white latex when wounded.
The plant was given its accepted name by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It has two accepted subspecies: Papaver somniferum subsp. setigerum, native to North Africa and southern Europe, and the autonymic subspecies somniferum, a cultigen developed by human selection. A natural hybrid, Papaver somniferum nothosubsp. authemanii, is native to France. The opium poppy has 76 synonyms across its subspecies and hybrid.
Cultivation of P. somniferum has a very long tradition, starting in the Neolithic, leading to 52 botanical varieties. It is grown for poppy seeds, opium for the pharmaceutical industry, and other alkaloids like thebaine and oripavine used to produce drugs such as hydrocodone and oxycodone. Many cultivars have been bred that do not produce significant opium, such as 'Sujata', which produces no latex at all.
Reader's Guide
Papaver somniferum holds profound significance as the source of opium and its alkaloids, which are essential for modern pharmaceutical pain management, as well as for poppy seeds used in food. Its dual role—as both a medicinal crop and a source of narcotics—has shaped legal policies worldwide. The plant's genome, containing 51,213 genes, reveals segmental duplications 110 million years ago and a whole-genome duplication 7.8 million years ago, with genes for key alkaloid pathways clustered on chromosomes 1, 2, 7, and 11. Breeding efforts face contradictory goals: high alkaloid content for medicine versus low alkaloids for food. The plant is susceptible to diseases like downy mildew (caused by Peronospora arborescens and Peronospora somniferi) and leaf blight (Helminthosporium papaveris), as well as pests such as flea beetles, aphids, and the poppy root weevil. Its long history of cultivation, from Neolithic times to the present, and its naturalisation across temperate regions underscore its enduring impact on human agriculture, medicine, and culture.
Did You Know?
- All parts of the opium poppy exude white latex when wounded.
- The cultivar 'Sujata' produces no latex at all.
- The opium poppy genome contains 51,213 genes encoding proteins.
- The natural hybrid Papaver somniferum nothosubsp. authemanii is native to France.
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