IBERIAN FLORA

Poppy

Also called White Poppy, it reaches a height of 30 to 70 centimeters and its stem is covered with leaves, almost glabrous. It gives a flower between 8 and 10 centimeters wide possessing four petals, usually red, sometimes white, dark red or light red in colour. Two sepals, fall when the flower opens. Many stamens. Pistil with several united carpels. The lower leaves are short stalked, the upper leaves are stalkless, amplexicaulous. Blade narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, with non-uniform, bluish-green serrated margins. The fruit is an oval capsule, 13 to 27 mm long, glabrous. Generally with 8-12 rays. This plant grows in ancient gardens, wasteland and garbage dumps. It serves as an ornamental plant, it becomes wild. The flowering period is July and August. This plant appears to be native to the southern and eastern Mediterranean in Europe. It is known because its semi-mature fruits in poric capsule, as well as its dry, sticky and white sap, have a high content of alkaloids, so they are used for the manufacture of opium and derivatives such as heroin illegally In the pharmaceutical and medical industry, these alkaloids are also a source of active substances such as morphine and codeine, used in medicine as pain relievers. The seeds are well accepted in culinary applications for their aroma and antioxidant properties, their content in vitamin B, lipids, carbohydrates and proteins.