220 ORDER XI. PAPAVERACEiE. 



generally with a milky or yellow juice, often acrid, and gene- 

 rally narcotic. Flowers all belonging to the yellow series. 



ANALYSIS. 



1. Sepals 2 2 



Sepals 3 Argemone, 2 



2. Petals 8 — 12 Sanguinaria, 3 



Petals 4 3 



8. Plants yielding a white juice Papa'ver, 1 



Plants yielding a yellow juice 4 



4. Peduncles 1-flowered Glauciutn, 5 



Flowers in umbels Olielidonium, 4 



Genus L— PAPA'VER. L. 12—1. {Poppy.) 

 (Origin of the name uncerbiin.) 



Sepals 2. Petals 4. Stamens numerous. Style 1. Stig- 

 mas 4 — 20, radiating, sessile. Capsule 1-celled, opening by 

 pores beneath the lobes of the stigma ; many-seeded. 



1. P. sommf'erum, (L.) Stem erect, smooth. Leaves amplexicaul, 

 incised, repand ; teeth blunt. Petals lai'ge. Capsule smooth, with 

 numerous parietal placenta, opposite the lobes of the stigma. — White 

 or purple. July. Nearly naturalized. 



This is the species that yields the opium of commerce. The opium is the hardened 

 juice of the capsule, obtained by incision soon after flowering. The composition of 

 opium is very complex, containing not less than seventeen distinct substances. 



Genus II.— ARGEMO'NE. L. 12—1. (Prickly Poppy.) 

 (From the Greek argeme, a disease of the eye, for which the juice was used.) 



Sepals 3, caducous. Petals 6. Stamens numerous. Stig- 

 mas 4 — V, sessile, or nearly so. Capsule opening by valves 

 separating from the placentas. Herbs with a yellow juice. 



1. A. Mexica'na, (L.) Leaves alternate, pinnatifid, and spiny. Flozo- 

 ers solitary, axillary, and terminal. Calyx and capsule prickly. 



There seems to be several variations from the above description, 

 which constitute varieties of this species. The flowers vary much in 

 size and color, and in some the capsule is not prickly. We have never 

 met with such a one. — W^hite. 0. From June through the summer. 

 In cultivated places, common. 



Genus III— SANGUIXA'RIA. L. 12—13. {Blood- root.) 

 (From itsjuice resembling blood.) 



Sepals 2, caducous. Petals vary from 8 — 12. Stamens 

 numerous. Stigmas 2, sessile. Capsule oblong-ovate. Seeds 

 numerous. Rhizoma yellowish-red. 



1. S. Canaden'sis, (L.) Leaves reniform, palmate, 6 — 7-lobed, glau- 

 cous. Petals oblong, caducous. Scape 1-flowered. Plant yields a 

 light red juice. — White. If. March. Common. Puccoonroot. 



This plant enjoys considerable reputiition. both in the regular practice of medicine 

 and in tlie family pvai'tico. It is a powerful nuMlicincs and should be URcd by tlio:-o 



