PapAVER DUBIUM* LONG-SMOOTH-HEADED PoPPY, 



PAPAVER Lin. Gen. PL Polyandria Monogynia. 



Cor. 4-petala. Cal. 2-phyllus. Capfula i-locularis, fub ftigmate perfiftente 

 poris dehifcens. 



Rai'i Syn Gen. 22. Herb^e vasculifer;e flore tetrapetalo anomaly. 



PAPAVER dubium capfulis oblongis glabris, caule multifloro fetis adpreffis, foliis pinnatifidis incifis. 

 Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 407. Sp. PL 726. FL Suec. n. 467. 



PAPAVER foliis hifpidis, pinnatis, pinnis lobatis, fructu ovato laevi. HaUer.Hijl. n\ 1063. 



PAPAVER. erraticum capite longiffimo glabro. Tourn. Inji. 238. 



PAPAVER laciniato folio, capitulo longiore glabro, fen Argemone capitulo longiore glabro. Mor. H. 

 R. Bl. H. Ox. II. 279. S. III. t. 14. fig. 11. Rail Syn. p. 309. Smooth-headed Baftard- 

 Poppy. Hudfon. FL Angl. p. 231. Ligbtjoot FL Scot, p. 280. 



This plant, in its general appearance, is fo very fimilar to the Papai)er Rb^as, as often to be overlooked and 

 miftaken for that fpecies. Were the flowers white, as Jacquin informs us they conftantly are in Auftria, the two 

 plants would be much more obvioufiy diftinguifhed ; but, fortunately, it has a few characters which always point it 

 out to the attentive obferver. Thefe are principally drawn from the Capfules and Flower-ftalks ; the Capfules of 

 the Rbaas are broad and fhort, fomewhat refembling one-half of an egg cut tranfverfely : thofe of the dubium are 

 long and {lender. Such is the general appearance of the two Capfules, which, however, are fubject to considerable 

 variation. In the Rhatas, the hairs on the Flower-flalk are ftrong, rigid, and fpread horizontally ; in the dubium 

 they are finer, and preffed upward clofe to the ftalk *. On the young Flower-ftalks they aflume a mining, filvery- 

 white appearance, which looks very beautiful. Below the Flower-ftalks, on the other parts of the plant, the hairs 

 fpread out. In this laft character we do not recollect to have ever been deceived. Befides thefe, which are the 

 principal differences, the ftalks and leaves of the dubium are much paler : the flowers are alfo much fmaller, and lefs 

 intenfely red. 



Culture produces no alteration in the,conflancy of its characters. 



In Batterfea Fields, where the foil is light, the dubium is nearly as common, and as much of a weed, as the 

 Rh<zas\ nor is it unfrequent on walls, in the environs of the Metropolis ; according to Mr. Lightfoot, it is the 

 moft common fpecies in North Britain. 



In a corn field, betwixt Croydon and Shirley Common, we once noticed feveral fpecimens of this poppy with 

 very large Capfules, which, if we miflake not, were difeafed. 



It flowers in June. 



* Jacquin's figure reprefents the hairs of the Flower-flalks reverfed, a»d the leave* teo finely divided. 



