Taxon:  Papaver somniferum L. subsp. somniferum



Summary
Genus:
Papaver
Section:
Papaver
Family:
Papaveraceae
Subfamily:
Papaveroideae
Tribe:
Papavereae
Nomen number:
26710
Verified:
05/11/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
23 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Papaver somniferum L. (1 active accession[s])
Papaver somniferum L. subsp. setigerum (DC.) Corb. (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Autonym(s)
Papaver somniferum L. var. somniferum

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Papaver paeoniflorum hort. ex M. P. Corrêa
Papaver somniferum L. var. album DC.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
  2. Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
  3. Demilly, D. et al. 1996. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 6. Note: GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France
  4. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Papaver somniferum
  5. Farnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
  6. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  7. Jalas, J. & J. Suominen. 1972-. Atlas florae europaeae.
  8. Kadereit, J. W. 1986. A revision of Papaver L. sect. Papaver (Papaveraceae). Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 108:4.
  9. Kadereit, J. W. 2011. Review of Papaveraceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
  10. Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
  11. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  12. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  13. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: = Papaver somniferum
  14. Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):378.
  15. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  16. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  17. Tetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
  18. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1993. Flora europaea, ed. 2.
  19. Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishopium poppy  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Frenchoeillette  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchpavot somnifère  2Demilly, D. et al. 1996. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 6. Note: GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France
GermanSchlafmohn  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguesedormideira  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguesepapoula  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishadormidera  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishamapola real  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
2Cultivated    widely cult. 
4Naturalized    sometimes natzd. 
6Other    origin obscure, likely S.W. Asia and the MediterraneanKadereit, J. W. 2011. Review of Papaveraceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
Cultivated (widely cult.)
Naturalized (sometimes natzd.)
Other (origin obscure, likely S.W. Asia and the Mediterranean)

Reference(s)
  1. Kadereit, J. W. 2011. Review of Papaveraceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodfodderas birdseed & poppy seed oil cakes for livestockTetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Environmentalornamental Tetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Food additivesflavoringfrom ground seedsTetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Human foodoil/fat Tetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Human foodseeds Tetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Materialslipidsseed oil used for paints, varnishes, soapsTetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentcodeine, morphine, noscapine, & papaverinePadua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):378.
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentcodeine, morphine, noscapine, & papaverineFarnsworth, N. R. & D. D. Soejarto. 1988. Global importance of medicinal plants (unpublished draft manuscript rev. 23)
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentcodeine, morphine, noscapine, & papaverine; as Papaver somniferumDuke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinessource of pharmaceutical agentcodeine, morphine, noscapine, & papaverine; as Papaver somniferumMcGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Socialnarcotic Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammalsfor poppy strawTetenyi, P. 1997. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): botany and horticulture. Hort. Rev. 19:373-408.
Weed  CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=26710. Accessed 15 April 2026.