112 NAT. ORDER. PAPAVERACE^E. 



Imlics, Sandwich Islands, &c. It is called by the Spaniards in 

 Mexico, Figo del Inferno, or Devil's Fig. In the West Indies it is 

 called Yellow Thistle. 



Argemone albijlora. White-flowered Mexican Poppy. This plant 

 is l)ut little known, being an inhabitant of the extreme southern 

 part of Mexico, and as yet found in no other country. The leaves 

 are sessile, feather-nerved ; the petals are usually only three ; flowers 

 white, emitting a fragrant and pleasant odor. The natives of that 

 country adorn their heads with these flowers at their celebrations 

 and dances. 



A)gemone ochrobcuca. Cream-flowered Mexican Poppy. The 

 leaves of this plant are profoundly sinuated or pinnatified, glauces- 

 cent ; nerves with prickly bristles ; flowers solitary ; stamens few ; 

 capsules oblong, deeply five or six furrowed, covered with some- 

 what reflexed pricldes ; stigmas five or six, distinct, spreading, and 

 purple. It is a native of Mexico, but is found growing in Georgia 

 and Carolina. There is a variety with pale yellow flowers ; calyx 

 of the three sepals ; petals six, crenated ; stem prickly. 



Argemone gi-andljlora. Great-flowered Mexican Poppy. This 

 plant has leaves sinuated, smooth, spring-toothed ; the nerves are 

 unarmed ; the flowers panicled, polyandrous ; the calyx smooth ; 

 capsules quadrangular, and almost unarmed ; flowers large and 

 white ; stigmas four, with as many pale-blue pits ; anthers yellow. 

 These plants raised from seed will not flower till October ; but when 

 the roots liaA-^e existed through the winter, they will flower early in 

 the summer. 



Propagation and Culture. Argemone is a genus of beautiful, 

 hardy annuals, and should be sown in the open flower-borders 

 about the end of March or the beginning of April; or tiie rarer 

 kinds may be sown on a hot-bed, and afterwards planted out into 

 the borders. 



Medical Proj)ertics and C'scs. Every one knows what narcotic, 

 properties are possessed by the Poppy, and this character prevail* 



