PAPAVEEACE2F. 29 



perfect cells. Fruit capsular, opening in pores or valves. Seeds 

 albuminous, with a small embryo. 



The Poppy family belongs almost exclusively to the north temperate 

 zone, in both the old and new world, a single species, the Mexican Ar- 

 gemone, or Prickly Poppy, having spread as a weed all over the tropics. 

 The combination of 2 sepals and 4 petals easily distinguish the British 

 genera from all other Polyandrous plants. 



Ovary and fruit globular or oblong. 



Stigmas radiating on a sessile flat disk 1 . Poppy. 



Stigmas supported on a short but distinct style .... 2. Meconopsis. 

 Ovary and fruit linear. 



Seeds crested. Flowers small, yellow 3. Celandine. 



Seeds not crested. 



Seacoast plant, withthickish leaves andlarge yellow flowers 5. G-latjcitjm. 

 Cornfield weed, with rather large violet flowers ... 4. Rcemeria. 



The Californian JEscJiscJioltzias, now so common in our gardens, be- 

 long to this family. Platystemon, a curious annual from the same 

 country, also not unfrequently cultivated, is intermediate, as it were, 

 between the Poppy and the Ranunculus families. 



I. POPPY. PAPAVER, 



Capsule globular, ovoid or slightly oblong, crowned by a circular 

 disk, upon which the stigmas radiate from the centre, internally divided 

 nearly to the centre, into as many incomplete cells as there are stigmas, 

 and opening in as many pores, immediately under the disk. Flowers 

 rather large, red, white, or purplish in the British species, or pale yel- 

 low in some exotic ones. 



A small genus, extending over Europe and temperate Asia, and in- 

 troduced among weeds of cultivation into other parts of the world. 



Plant glabrous and glaucous. Leaves toothed or slightly 



lobed, clasping the stem at their base 1. Opium P. 



Plant green, usually with stiff hairs. Leaves once or twice 

 pinnately divided. 

 Capsule glabrous. 



Capsule globular 2. Field P. 



Capsule oblong 3. Longheaded P. 



Capsule more or less hispid with stiff hairs or bristles. 

 Capsule nearly globular. Bristles numerous and 



spreading 4. Hough P. 



Capsule oblong or obovoid. Bristles few and erect . 5. Pale P. 



The yellow-flowered P. nudicaule, from the mountains of northern 

 and central Europe and Asia, is occasionally cultivated in our gardens. 



