FAMILY N.O. Papaveraceae SPECIES Papaver Rhoeas (LINN.) COMMON NAME Corn poppy DESCRIPTION The Common Red Poppy, growing in fields and waste places, has petals of a rich scarlet colour when fresh, and is often nearly black at the base. They have the peculiar heavy odour of opium when fresh, but becomes scentless on drying.

There are several varieties, differing in the size of the lobes of the leaves and in the character of the fruit, which may be nearly cylindrical or globular, smooth or furnished with stiff hairs. The intensity of the scarlet colouring of the petals also varies. The fresh petals are used for preparing a syrup. The Red Poppy with petals having a dark spot at the base makes the deepest-coloured syrup; that with the oblong capsule should not be used, as it contains an alkaloid resembling Thebaine in action.

CONSTITUENTS Papaver Rhoeas is very slightly narcotic. The chief constituent of the fresh petals is the red colouring matter, which consists of Rhoeadic and Papaveric acids. This colour is much darkened by alkalis. All parts of the plant contain the crystalline non-poisonous alkaloid Rhoeadine. The amount of active ingredients is very small and rather uncertain in quantity. There is great controversy as to the presence of Morphine. Also it has not been determined whether Meconic Acid, which is present in opium, is a constituent

Poppy Fruit

MEDICINAL USES Anodyne; - ( capable of soothing or eliminating/reducing pain ) Anti-Cancer; - ( cancer cell killing properties ) Emmenagogue; - ( induces or hastens menstrual flow ) Emollient; - ( have the properties of softening, soothing or moisturizing inflamed or dry skin. ) Expectorant; - ( loosing mucus in the lungs and bronchi so as to facilitate coughing.) Hypnotic; - ( promote sleep, being more strong than a tranquilizer but milder than a narcotic) Sedative; - ( promote drowsiness for example to calm a patient ) Tonic. ( producing or stimulating physical, mental, or emotional vigor) The flowers of corn poppy have a long history of medicinal usage, especially for ailments in the elderly and children. Chiefly employed as a mild pain reliever and as a treatment for irritable coughs, it also helps to reduce nervous over-activity. Unlike the related opium poppy (P. somniferum) it is non-addictive. However, the plant does contain alkaloids, which are still under investigation, and so should only be used under the supervision of a qualified herbalist.

The flowers and petals are anodyne, emollient, emmenagogue, expectorant, hypnotic, slightly narcotic and sedative. An infusion is taken internally in the treatment of bronchial complaints and coughs, insomnia, poor digestion, nervous digestive disorders and minor painful conditions. The flowers are also used in the treatment of jaundice. The petals are harvested as the flowers open and are dried for later use. They should be collected on a dry day and can be dried or made into a syrup.

The latex in the seedpods is narcotic and slightly sedative. It can be used in very small quantities, and under expert supervision, as a sleep-inducing drug .

The leaves and seeds are tonic. They are useful in the treatment of low fevers.

The plant has anticancer properties.

A red dye is obtained from the flowers , though it is very fugitive . A syrup made from the petals has been used as a colouring matter for old inks . The red petals are used to add colour to pot-pourri.

EDIBLE USES
Seeds - raw or cooked. Much used as a flavouring in cakes, bread, fruit salads etc. , it imparts a very nice nutty flavour. The seeds are rather small, but they are contained in fairly large seed pods and so are easy to harvest. The seeds are perfectly safe to eat, containing none of the alkaloids associated with other parts of the plant. An edible oil is obtained from the seeds. This is said to be an excellent substitute for olive oil , it can be used in salad dressings or for cooking.

Leaves - raw or cooked. Used like spinach or as a flavouring in soups and salads. The leaves should not be used after the flower buds have formed. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Flower - A syrup can be prepared from the scarlet flower petals, it is used in soups, gruels etc.. In the past it was also used as a substitute for tea. A red dye from the petals is used as a food flavouring, especially in wine.