232 poppy. 



hairy, concave, caducous sepals. The petals are four, large, 

 roundish, undulated, of a bright deep scarlet colour, and some- 

 times marked with a black spot at the base. The stamens are 

 very numerous, inserted upon the receptacle ; with capillary, 

 purplish filaments, and oblong dark purple anthers, containing 

 dull greenish pollen. The germen is superior, smooth, desti- 

 tute of style, and crowned by a large peltate stigma, with eight 

 to ten diverging rays. The capsule is smooth, nearly globose, 

 or urn-shaped, crowned with the persistent dark-coloured 

 stigma ; the seeds attached to parietal placentae, forming 

 incomplete dissepiments, equal in number to the rays of the 

 stigma, are very numerous, reniform, and escape by pores 

 underneath the stigma. Plate 39, fig. 2, (a) stamens and pistil; 

 (6) stamen ; (c) capsule of the natural size ; (d) the same cut 

 transversely to show the dissepiments. 



This beautiful species of Poppy is well known as occurring 

 in almost every corn field, except in certain districts, where P. 

 dubium is more plentiful. It flowers in June and July. 



The specific name Rhceas, so called from the poiotg of Dios- 

 corides, is supposed to be derived from pEw, to fall, in allusion 

 to the caducous nature of the calyx. It is called provincially 

 Corn-rose, Wind-rose, Cup-rose, Canker~rose, and Head-wark. 



The very nearly allied species, Papaver dubium, is distin- 

 guished by its oblong capsules, and by the appressed bristles of 

 the flower-stalk. The prickly-headed Poppy (P. argemone) is 

 recognized by its clavate, hispid, ribbed capsule, its bipinnatifid 

 leaves, and small narrow scarlet petals. 



Many fine varieties of the common Red Poppy are cultivated 

 in gardens, but it is no where a more pleasing object than in 

 its native places of growth, except to the farmer, for 



" Poppies nodding, mock the hope of toil." — Crabbe. 



Cowley intimates that Morpheus showers his blessings upon 

 the toiling peasant, in preference to the prince : — 



" His Poppy grows among the corn." 

 Browne says 



" Sleep-bringing Poppy, by the plowmen late, 

 Not without cause, to Ceres consecrate." 



Indeed the statues of Ceres are generally adorned with Pop- 

 pies. 



