Papaver somniferum

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Papaver somniferum
Illustration Papaver somniferum0.jpg
Papaver somniferum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Papaveraceae
Genus: Papaver
Species: P. somniferum
Binomial name
Papaver somniferum



It is also valuable for ornamental purposes, and has been known as the "common garden poppy", referencing all the group of poppy plants.[citation needed]




Poppy flower with capsule



Papaver somniferum Paeoniflorum group (sometimes called Papaver paeoniflorum) is a subtype of opium poppy whose flowers are highly double, and are grown in many colors. P. somniferum Laciniatum group (sometimes called Papaver laciniatum) is a subtype of opium poppy whose flowers are highly double and deeply lobed, to the point of looking like a ruffly pompon.

A few of the varieties, notably the 'Norman' and 'Przemko' varieties, have low morphine content (less than 1%), and much higher concentrations of other alkaloids. Most varieties, however, including those most popular for ornamental use or seed production, have a higher morphine content, with the average content being 10%.[4][5]


Capsule of Papaver somniferum showing latex (opium) exuding from incision
200 g Spanish opium ball

The opium poppy is, by definition, the root source of all opioids considered opiates. Morphine is the predominant alkaloid found in the varieties of opium poppy plant cultivated in most producing countries.[6]

The seed pod of the opium poppy is the principal source of most naturally occurring μ-opioid receptor agonist opioids. Incisions are made on the green seed pods, the latex which oozes from the incisions is collected, and dried to produce "raw opium". Opium is about 8-14% morphine by dry weight, although specially bred cultivars reach 26%.[7] Opium (also called “raw opium”) is the latex harvested by making incisions on the green seed pods, collecting the latex, and then drying it.

Poppy straw is the dried mature plant except the seeds, harvested by mowing.

Opiates such as morphine, thebaine, codeine, and oripavine are extracted from both the opium and the straw.

The seeds themselves contain very small amounts of opiates,[4] and have no measurable narcotic effect in small quantities. However, the television show MythBusters demonstrated that one could test positive for narcotics after consuming four poppy seed bagels. On the show Brainiac: Science Abuse, subjects tested positive after eating only two poppy seed bagels. In addition, larger amounts of seeds may be brewed into a tea, the consumption of which has in some cases led to death by overdose. The risk stems largely from the unpredictable opiate content of the finished tea, although the interaction with other drugs can be a contributing factor.[8]


Use of the opium poppy predates written history. Images of opium poppies have been found in ancient Sumerian artifacts (circa 4000 BC). The making and use of opium was known to the ancient Minoans.[9] Its sap was later named opion by the ancient Greeks, from whence it gained its modern name of opium.


The First and Second Opium Wars among China, the British Empire and France took place in the late 1830s through the early 1860s, when the Chinese attempted to stop western traders smuggling opium into their country.





Opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) under cultivation in Tasmania
  • The United Kingdom does not require a license for Opium poppy cultivation, but does for extracting opium for medicinal products.[10]
  • In Austria and Switzerland, cultivation of the opium poppy is legal
  • In Germany cultivation of the opium poppy is illegal. West Germany made cultivation illegal after World War II, while East Germany did not. Only after German reunification, in 1990, did it become illegal in the east.
  • United Arab Emirates cultivation of the opium poppy is illegal, as is possession of poppy seeds. At least one man has been imprisoned for possessing poppy seeds obtained from a bread roll.[11]
  • Burma, bans cultivation in certain provinces. In northern Burma bans have ended a century-old tradition of growing opium poppy. Between 20,000 and 30,000 ex-poppyfarmers left the Kokang region as a result of the ban in 2002.[13] People from the Wa region, where the ban was implemented in 2005, fled to areas where growing opium is still possible.
  • In the United States cultivation is illegal. Opium is listed as a Schedule II controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, "Opium poppy and poppy straw" are also prohibited.[14] However, this is not typically enforced for poppies grown or sold for ornamental or food purposes.[4] Though the opium poppy is legal for culinary or esthetic reasons, poppies were once grown as a cash crop by farmers in California. The law of poppy cultivation in the United States is somewhat ambiguous.[15] The reason for the ambiguity is because The Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942 (now repealed),[16][17][18] stated that any opium poppy should be declared illegal, even if the farmers were issued a state permit.[19] § 3 of The Opium Poppy Control Act stated:


This led to the Poppy Rebellion, and to the Narcotics Bureau arresting anyone planting opium poppies and forcing the destruction of poppy fields of anyone who defied the prohibition of poppy cultivation.[20][21] Though the press of those days favored the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, the state of California supported the farmers who grew opium poppies for their seeds for uses in foods such as poppyseed muffins. Today, this area of law has remained vague and remains somewhat controversial in the United States.[22] The Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942 was repealed on 27 October 1970.[23][24]


Australia (Tasmania), Turkey and India are the major producers of poppy for medicinal purposes and poppy-based drugs, such as morphine or codeine.[25] The USA has a policy of sourcing 80% of its narcotic raw materials from the traditional producers, India and Turkey.[26]



In March 2010, researchers from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary published an article in Nature Chemical Biology about their discovery of two enzymes and their encoding genes, thebaine 6-O-demethylase (T6ODM) and codeine O-demethylase (CODM), involved in morphine biosynthesis derived from the opium poppy.[29] The enzymes were identified as non-heme dioxygenases, and were isolated using functional genomics.[29] Codeine O-demethylase produces the enzyme that converts codeine into morphine.[30]

Medical cultivation in the UK[edit]

In late 2006, the British government permitted the pharmaceutical company Macfarlan Smith (a Johnson Matthey company, FTSE 100) to cultivate opium poppies in England for medicinal reasons[31] after Macfarlan Smith's primary source, India, decided to increase the price of export opium latex. This move is well received by British farmers,[citation needed] with a major opium poppy field based in Didcot, England. As of 2012, they were growing in Dorset, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire as a spring-sown breakcrop recognised under the single payment scheme farm subsidy.[32] The Office of Fair Trading has alerted the government to their monopoly position on growing in the UK and worldwide production of diamorphine and recommended consideration.[31] The governments response advocated the status quo, being concerned interference might cause the company to stop production.[33]

Use as food[edit]

Polish makowiec, a nut roll filled with poppy seed paste

The opium poppy is the source of two food ingredients: poppy seed and poppyseed oil. The seeds contain very low levels of opiates,[4] and the oil extracted from them contains even less. Both the oil and the seed residue also have commercial uses.

Poppy seeds[edit]

Main article: Poppy seed


Ornamental cultivation[edit]

A red opium poppy flower used for ornamental purposes


Since "opium poppy and poppy straw" are listed in Schedule II of the United States' Controlled Substances Act, a DEA license may be required to grow poppies in ornamental or display gardens. In fact, the legal status of strictly ornamental poppy gardens is more nuanced, and destruction of ornamental poppy installations or prosecution of gardeners (except those caught extracting opium via capsule scarification or tea extraction) are virtually unheard of.[4] During the early spring, opium poppies can be seen flowering in gardens throughout North America and Europe, and beautiful displays are found in many private planters, as well as in public botanical and museum gardens (e.g., United States Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden, North Carolina Botanical Garden).


Popular culture[edit]










  4. ^ a b c d e "Poppy law" on
  8. ^
  9. ^ Askitopoulou, Helen; Ramoutsaki, Ioanna A; Konsolaki, Eleni. "Archaeological evidence on the use of opium in the Minoan world". International Congress Series (ScienceDirect) 1242: 23–29. doi:10.1016/S0531-5131(02)00769-0. 
  11. ^ McGrath, Ginny (2008-02-08). "Travellers who 'smuggle' poppy seeds face Dubai jail". The Times (UK). Retrieved 2009-09-02. 
  13. ^ page 4 of the Drug Policy Briefing nr. 29 by the Transnational Institute
  16. ^
  17. ^ "Controlled Substances Import and Export Act". Retrieved 30 December 2011. 
  19. ^ "Poppy Flowers". Retrieved 30 December 2011. 
  20. ^
  21. ^ Association, American Bar (September 1952). "ABA Journal". 
  22. ^ "Poppin’ Up Poppies". Retrieved 30 December 2011. 
  26. ^ Braund, Claire (2001). "Research driving the Tasmanian poppy industry". Australian Society of Agronomy. Retrieved 2009-09-02. [dead link]
  29. ^ a b Jillian M Hagel and Peter J Facchini (2010-03-14). "Dioxygenases catalyze the O-demethylation steps of morphine biosynthesis in opium poppy". Nature Chemical Biology (Nature Publishing Group) 6 (4): 273–5. doi:10.1038/nchembio.317. PMID 20228795. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  33. ^ "Opium derivatives - Government response to OFT review of undertakings by Macfarlan Smith Limited (MSL)". Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. March 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-03. 
  34. ^ "Mahanandi » Gasagasalu ~ Bendakaaya". Retrieved 30 December 2011. 

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