Opium poppy

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the type of poppy from which opium and all refined opiates such as heroin are extracted, as well as an important food item.

Related Topics:
Poppy - Opium - Heroin

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There are many varieties of this poppy species. Colors of the flower vary widely, as do other physical characteristics (number and shape of petals, number of pods, production of morphine, etc.). Possession of any part of Papaver somniferum is outlawed in the United States and is listed as a Schedule II controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration.http://www.dea.gov/pubs/scheduling.html

Related Topics:
Flower - Drug Enforcement Administration

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The name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to its narcotic properties.

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The seeds of the poppy are widely used as the popular "poppy-seed" found in and on many food items such as bagels, muffins and cakes. The seeds can be pressed to form poppy seed oil. Opium poppy seeds contain negligible amounts of narcotics. However, it was shown on MythBusters that one would test positive for narcotics after consuming an "excessive" amount of poppy seeds, in this case, in the form of 4 poppy seed bagels. This situation was parodied on the show Seinfeld.

Related Topics:
Seed - Bagel - MythBusters - Seinfeld

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