PAPAVERACE^:. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 7. 



PAPAVER. 



Sepals 2, convex, deciduous. Petals 4. Stamens numerous. 

 Style 1. Stigmas 4-20, radiating sessile upon the crown of 

 the ovary. Capsule 1 -celled, spheroidal, opening by pores 

 beneath the lobes of the stigma. Placentae opposite the stig- 

 matic lobes, many-seeded. 



41. P. Rhceas Linn. sp. pi. 726. Eng. Bot. t. 645. DC. 

 prodr. i. 118. S. and C. i. t. 31. Hedges and corn fields in 

 all parts of Europe. 



Capsule obovate, smooth. Sepals hairy. Stem many-flowered, 

 somewhat rough, with spreading setae. Leaves pinnatifid, with elongated 

 slashed toothed acute lobes. The beautiful red petals are employed 

 in the preparation of the " Syrupus Rhceados" of the pharmacopoeia, 

 useful merely as a colouring matter. The plant is not known to be 

 narcotic. Pereira. 



42. P. somniferum Linn. sp. pi. 726. Lam. ill. t. 451. 

 N. and E. Handb. iii. 446. plant med. t. 404. Woodv. 

 t. 185. Eng. Bot. t. 2145. S. and C. iii.t. 159. P. officinale 

 N. and E. Handb. iii. 446. PI med. t. 405. Mipw, Dios- 

 corides ; otypta,, when the seeds are black; ?)//>?, when the seeds 

 are white. Fields of the Levant, and south of Europe ; culti- 

 vated in many of the warmer parts of the world. 



Stem erect, smooth, rather glaucous, 3-4 feet high. Leaves amplexi- 

 caul, slashed, repand, with rather blunt teeth. Petals very large, dull 

 dingy pale lilac or white with a deep dull purple spot at their base, 

 or no spot. Capsules obovate or globose, smooth, about the size of 

 a middling apple, rather hard and brittle, with numerous parietal placentae, 

 covered with kidney-shaped, oily, sweet and eatable seeds. From the 

 wounded half-ripe capsules flows a juice which concretes into opium, 

 the well-known powerful narcotic drug. From the dried capsules the 

 decoction, syrup and extract of poppies are prepared. Mr. Pereira 

 justly observes, that these capsules or "heads" would be more active if 

 gathered before ripeness : when full grown and just when the first 

 change of colour is perceptible should be the best time to collect them. 

 The seeds are not narcotic, but yield a bland oil similar to that ob- 

 tained from olives. I see no ground for considering the P. officinale of 

 N. and E. any thing beyond a variety of no importance. 



ARGEMONE. 



Sepals 2-3, muricated. Petals 3-6. Stamens numerous. 

 Styles scarcely any ; stigmas 4-7, radiating, concave, distinct. 

 Capsule obovate, 1 -celled, opening by valves at the apex, with 

 linear placentas. Seeds spherical, pitted. 

 15 



