31 
ON PLANTS IN RELATION TO ANIMALS. 
Lamottei has a juice inclining to yellow, while Lecoqii may have 
this only slightly tinged. We therefore agree in considering 
these only as varieties of dubium , if, indeed, this latter is not 
itself a variety of Rhceas , as Dr. Syme says of the long smooth¬ 
headed poppy. “ Its Latin specific name ‘'dubium 3 signifies the 
doubtful nature of its distinctions to superficial observers. - ” 
4. Rap aver Argemone . As the authority just named ob¬ 
serves:—“The specific name just quoted is probably derived 
from Argemon, cataract; a disease of the lens of the eye, for 
which an infusion of this plant was considered a cure, and pos¬ 
sibly its emollient power did allay inflammation. Our plant is 
distinguished from the three previously described forms by its 
conical capsules being armed with strong bristles or rather 
prickles. The flowers are smaller, and the wdiole plant is less 
hairy. Its favourite soil is that of a sandy marl, thus we have a 
corn field which is sometimes red with P. rhceas, indicating its 
unmitigated sandy nature, but on a part of this where we 
applied some Upper Lias Marl the P. Argemone , year by year 
makes its appearance in such quantities as we have nowhere else 
met with. 
P. hybridum is comparatively rare, it is larger than the 
preceding, which is the smallest of our poppies. It has more or 
less appressed hairs, the capsule is ovate and armed with several 
rows of coarse hairs or fine prickles. It is said to have been 
found in several English counties, but we have never met with 
it. 
As regards the properties of this section of the poppy genus, 
there can be no doubt that to a limited extent its members 
possess in greater or less quantity the somnolent virtues of the 
opium poppies; this is indicated by the heavy smell of the 
bruised herb, and the fact that the juices are so strong and dis¬ 
agreeable, that the cattle and stock of all kind uniformly 
refuse to eat it. Birds, however, eat the seeds with avidity, and 
one of the services performed by the finches is the destruction of 
the seeds of poppies, which is a favourite food of these birds. 
It was formerly much employed as a medicine, and especially 
with children; now, however, it has lost its repute, and the 
petals of the red-leaved section are only used to make a syrup. 
5. rheados, which is only employed as a colouring matter to 
disguise other medicaments, or perhaps to add a charm to some 
noxious draughts. There are other poppiform plants, such as 
Meconopsis Cambrica, the so called Welsh poppy; Roemeria 
hybrida , Violet Horn Poppy ; Glaucium corniculatum, Ked Horn 
Poppy; G. luteum, Yellow Horn Poppy, all of which were formerly 
held in great repute for their medicinal virtues. At present, 
plants which at one time were honoured with names on account 
