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Opium poppy
species of plant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum var. album, is a species of plant. Opium and poppy seeds come from poppies. A great number of opiates, such as morphine, heroin, and codeine, are made from opium. The Latin name for the opium poppy means "sleep-bringing poppy, white form," probably because some of these opiates make people feel sleepy.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Binomial name ...
Opium poppy | |
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Scientific classification | |
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Order: | Ranunculales |
Family: | Papaveraceae |
Genus: | Papaver |
Binomial name | |
Papaver somniferum Carolus Linnaeus | |
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The poppy is the only species of Papaveraceae to be grown as an agricultural crop. Other species, such as Papaver rhoeas and Papaver argemone, are important agricultural weeds. They may be wrongly thought of as the crop.
The plant itself is also used as a decoration. Known as the "common garden poppy," it is widely grown as an ornamental flower in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.