24 PAPAVERACE/E 



magnificent of our native flowers, inhabiting clear pools and slow- 

 rivers. The flowers rise above the water in the middle of the day 

 and expand, closing once more and sinking towards evening. — Fl. 

 June — August. Perennial. 



Ord. IV. Papaverace^e. — The Poppy Family 



Herbaceous plants, abounding in a milky narcotic juice. 



Flowers usually pendulous in the bud, conspicuous and polysym- 



metric ; sepals 2, soon falling off, concave ; petals 4, crumpled in 



aestivation ; stamens indefinite, hypogynous ; fruit a 



f capsule ; seeds generally scattered over the surface of 

 incomplete partitions, which radiate from the sides of 

 the capsule, but do not meet at the centre. The 

 narcotic juice of the unripe capsules of Papdver 

 somniferum, the Opium Poppy, which is commonly 

 ovary of grown for ornament in our gardens, yields opium, 

 the poppy, laudanum, and morphia, most valuable medicines. An 

 infusion of ripe " poppy-heads " or capsules is also used as a 

 fomentation ; and the seeds of all poppies contain a considerable 

 quantity of a mild and wholesome oil. 



* Fruit a globose capsule, opening by pores 



1. Papaver. — Stigma sessile, rayed ; capsule opening by pores 

 below the stigma ; placentas forming partial partitions. 



2. Meconopsis. — Style short; stigma of 4 — 6 rays; capsule 

 opening by pores below the style ; placentas less developed. 



** Fruit pod-like, opening by valves 



3. (jLAvcivm.— Flower yellow; stigma 2-lobed, sessile; capsule 

 2-valved and more or less completely 2-chambered. 



4. Rcemeria. — Flower violet ; stigma 2 — 4-lobed, sessile ; cap- 

 sule 2 — 4-valved, i-chambered. 



5. Chelid6nium. — Flower yellow; stigma 2-lobed; capsule 2- 

 valved, 1 -chambered. 



1. PapAver (Poppy). — Annual herbs with white milky juice. 

 Leaves lobed or cut ; flowers on long stalks, pendulous in the bud ; 

 sepals 2, caducous ; petals 4, crumpled in the bud ; stamens 

 indefinite ; stigma of 4 — 20 sessile rays on a disk, below which 

 the pores open. (Name classical, of uncertain etymology, perhaps 

 connected with the Keltic papa, pap, because administered to 

 induce sleep.) 



