PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM. 
Fruit. Either pod-shaped, with two parietal placente, or 
capsular, with several. 
Sreps. Indefinite or numerous, minute. Embryo minute, at 
the base of oily albumen. 
Tue SeconpARY CHARACTERS. 
Papaver. Sepals two, caducous. Petals four. Stamens 
indefinite or numerous. Capsule one-celled, opening by pores 
under the broad, persistent stigma. 
Calyx two-leaved, caducous. Corolla four-petalled. Stigma a broad disc, with 
radiating lines. Capsule one-celled, dehiscent by pores under the permanent stigma. 
Tus Spreciric CHAaRAcTERS. 
PapaveER sOMNIFERUM. Glabrous and glaucous. Leaves 
clasping, incised, and dentate. Sepals glabrous. Capsule 
globose. 
Calyx and capsule glabrous. Leaves clasping, gashed, glaucous. 
Tue ARTIFICIAL CHARACTERS. 
Cuass Ponyanpria. Stamens twenty or more, arising trom 
receptacle (hypogynous). Orper Monoeynia. Ovaries com- 
pound. Placente parietal. Sepals two or three. Juice col- 
pants Meske: in 29 exotic Chet 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
The somniferous or white poppy is a native of Asia, and 
has become naturalized in Europe and in the United States. 
It was well known to the ancients, and is spoken of by 
Homer as then cultivated in gardens, perhaps at first solely 
for the sake of its seed, which was used as food. It is now 
extensively cultivated in most of the states of Europe, not 
only on account of the opium, for which it is reared in Turkey, 
Persia, and India, but also on account of the capsules, and 
of the bland oil obtained from the seeds. In the United 
States it has seldom been grown except as an ornamental 
flower, but there is every reason to believe that its cultivation 
would prove: a very lucrative branch of industry, not only. 
from the opium that might be obtained, but also from the oil 
Oo e from the bess Nabe is an excellent substi- 
