Species of flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae
This article is about the widely distributed species of flowering plant. For the similar flower native to the Mediterranean coast, seeAnemone coronaria. For the artificial flower worn in some countries to commemorate military personnel who died in war, seeRemembrance poppy.
Papaver rhoeas, withcommon names includingcommon poppy,[3]corn poppy,corn rose,field poppy,[4]Flanders poppy,red poppy, andOdai, is an annualherbaceous species of flowering plant in the poppy familyPapaveraceae. It is native to northAfrica and temperate Eurasia and is introduced into temperate areas on all other continents except Antarctica.
It is regarded as an agricultural weed (hence the common names including "corn" and "field"). As the plant thrives in areas of disturbed soil, it was often abundant in agricultural fields before the advent ofherbicides. Flushes of poppies may still appear in fields where herbicides are not used, as well as those infallow. The corn poppy and itscultivars such as theShirley poppy are widely grown in gardens, and are frequently found in packets of seed labelled "wildflower mixes". SinceWorld War I, it has been used in theCommonwealth as a symbol ofremembrance for fallen soldiers because it commonly grew in fields disturbed by war.
The three stages in a common poppy flower: bud, flower, and capsule
Papaver rhoeas is a variable, erectannual, forming a long-livedsoil seed bank that can germinate when the soil is disturbed. In theNorthern Hemisphere it generally flowers in late spring (between May and October in the UK)[4] but if the weather is warm enough other flowers frequently appear at the beginning of autumn. It grows up to about 70 centimetres (28 inches) in height. The stems hold single flowers,[4][5] which are large and showy, 5–10 cm (2–4 in) across,[6]: 32 with four petals that are vivid red, most commonly with a black spot at their base. The petals slightly overlap each other.[4] The plant can produce up to 400 flowers in a warm season, that last only one day.[4] Theflower stem is usually covered with coarse hairs that are held at right angles to the surface, helping to distinguish it fromP. dubium in which the hairs are more usually appressed (i.e. held close to the stem). Thecapsules are hairless, obovoid (egg-shaped), less than twice as tall as they are wide, with astigma at least as wide as the capsule. Like many other species ofPapaver, the plant exudes white to yellowishlatex when the tissues are broken.[7]: 94
Not all corn poppies that are available commercially have red flowers. Selective breeding has resulted in cultivars in yellow, orange, pink, and white. The Shirley poppy is a well-known cultivar. A very pale speckled variety, derived from the Shirley, is also available.
A nearly black-flowering hybrid, known as 'Evelina', was bred in Italy in the late 1990s, withP. dubium, but does not appear to be available commercially.[8]
Its origin is not known for certain. As with many such plants, the area of origin is often ascribed by Americans to Europe, and by northern Europeans to southern Europe. It is known to have been associated withagriculture in theOld World since early times and has had an old symbolism and association with agricultural fertility. It has most of the characteristics of a successfulweed of agriculture. These include an annual lifecycle that fits into that of most cereals, a tolerance of simple weed control methods, the ability to flower and seed itself before the crop is harvested, and the ability to form a long-lived seed bank. The leaves and latex have an acrid taste and are mildly poisonous tograzing animals.[11]
A sterile hybrid withP. dubium is known,P. ×hungaricum, that is intermediate in all characteristics withP. rhoeas.[7]
P. rhoeas topped the list in a UK study ofmeadowpollen production, on a per flower basis, with its rate of 13.3 ± 2.8 μl. TheCalifornia poppy placed second with a rate of 8.3 ± 1.1 μl. The pollen production ofP.rhoeas, on a per flower basis, was very high in comparison with the other plants tested, at almost triple the amount of the top-ranked perennial (a mallow). When sampled at the level of the entirecapitulum, however, it was outranked by the ox-eye daisy,Leucanthemum vulgare, with its 15.9 ± 2 μl measurement. It tied withCosmos bipinnatus. Neither poppy produced a significant quantity ofnectar, making their role in meadow ecology specific to pollen-gathering/consuming insects.[12] As poppies are not wind-pollinated, their pollen poses noallergy risk viainhalation.
The commonly grown garden decorative Shirley poppy is acultivar of this plant.[4]
The black seeds are edible[15] and can be eaten either on their own or as an ingredient in bread, though the majority of poppy seeds harvested for culinary use are from the related speciesPapaver somniferum. In many Eastern European countries, poppy seeds are boiled in water or milk, and then ground together with honey or sugar to achieve a sweet, soft paste, often used generously in pastries. Oil made from the seed is highly regarded inFrance.[2][failed verification]
The petals contain a reddye which is used in some medicines andwines; also the dried petals are occasionally used to give colour topotpourris.[2]
In traditionalfolk medicine, it was used forgout, aches, and pains. The petals were used to create a syrup that was fed to children to help them sleep.[4]
Due to the extent of ground disturbance in warfare duringWorld War I, corn poppies bloomed between thetrench lines andno man's lands on theWestern front. Poppies are a prominent feature of "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian Lieutenant ColonelJohn McCrae, one of the most frequently quoted English-language poems composed during the First World War. During the 20th century, the wearing of a poppy at and beforeRemembrance Day (sometimes known informally as Poppy Day) each year became an established custom in English-speaking western countries.[4] It is also used at some other dates in some countries, such as at appeals forAnzac Day in Australia and New Zealand.
This poppy appears on a number of postage stamps, coins, banknotes, and national flags, including:
InChina,P. rhoeas is known asyumeiren (虞美人, meaning "Yu the Beauty"), afterConsort Yu, the concubine of the warlordXiang Yu. In 202 BC, when they were besieged in theBattle of Gaixia by the force ofLiu Bang (founder of theHan dynasty), Consort Yu committed suicide; according to folklore, poppies grew out of the ground where Consort Yu fell, andP. rhoeas thus became a symbol of loyalty unto death.[17]
In 2010,P. rhoeas was at the centre of a diplomatic controversy between China and the United Kingdom; during an official visit to China,British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron and his entourage rejected a demand from China to not wear theremembrance poppy, which the Chinese government had mistaken for theopium poppy, a plant that carries connotations of theOpium Wars in China.[18]
InPersian literature, red poppies, especially red corn poppy flowers, are considered the flower of love. They are often called the eternal lover flower.In classic and modern Persian poems, the poppy is a symbol of people who died for love (Persian: راه عشق).
Many poems interchange "poppy" and "tulip" (Persian: لاله).
[I] was asking the wind in the field of tulips during the sunrise: whose martyrs are these bloody shrouded?
[The wind] replied:Hafez, you and I are not capable of this secret, sing about red wine and sweet lips.
^abcPhilips, Roger; Rix, Brian (1996).Perfect Plants. London: Macmillan. p. 298.ISBN0333653416.
^Blamey, M.; Fitter, R.; Fitter, A (2003).Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. London: A & C Black.ISBN978-1408179505.
^abStace, C. A. (2019).New Flora of the British Isles (Fourth ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.: C & M Floristics.ISBN978-1-5272-2630-2.
^Sagrati, Giorgio (2012)."Evelina, the black poppy".The black poppy Evelina. WordPress. Retrieved23 December 2017.
