Papaver somniferum
Narcotic flower species
Papaver somniferum is the opium poppy, a flowering plant cultivated for millennia as the source of opium and its derivatives—morphine, codeine, heroin.
The species name means "sleep-bringing," reflecting the plant's sedative properties.
The same plant produces poppy seeds used in baking, which retain trace amounts of opiates detectable in drug tests.
- laudanumOpium dissolved in alcohol
- pain reliefEasing of discomfort
- poppy seedMinute edible kernel from flower
- alkaloidNitrogenous plant compound
- analgesicPain-relieving medication
Romantic poetry · opioid · ethnobotany · opium · Golden Triangle · ancient medicine · sedative · narcotic · Coleridge · colonial history · latex · morphine · milky · Victorian medicine · Silk Road · opioid receptor · sap · painkiller
- Species NamesHomo sapiens, Apis mellifera, Tyrannosaurus rex, Boa constrictor, Vitis vinifera
psychoactive plant type
Papaver somniferumcoca plant
Tropical shrub yielding alkaloids
coffee plant · Camellia sinensis · tea plant · guarana · khat