AYHITE VQ^^VX.'—Papaver somnifcrum. 



Class PoLYANDRiA. OnUv MoNOGYNiA. Nat. Ord. Papaverace.e. 

 Poppy Tribe. 



This elegant Poppy, though less common 

 than the scarlet species, is yet not unfrequent 

 in the fields of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, 

 Kent, and other counties. Some botanists 

 have thou2:ht that it s^rows only on or near 

 lands where it was formerly cultivated ; but its 

 abundance in some fields at Sidmouth, as wtII 

 as in some other places where this was not the 

 case, seem to entitle it to a place among our 

 wild flowers. Although it is now generally 

 to be met Avith, growing among the weeds of 

 the fields of Southern Europe, it is not impro- 

 bable that in past ages it was introduced into 

 this quarter of the world from Asia. It was 

 very early cultivated in Greece, probably for 

 the sake of its seeds, which w^ere used as food. 



This poppy is very extensively planted in 

 the present day in most European countries, 

 not alone for the opiiun which is made from 

 its juices, but also for its large round seed- 

 vessel, and for the seeds, from which oil is ex- 



