Opium poppy

Family: Papaveraceae
Scientific name: Papaver somniferum
Description: Plant Form: Erect annual herb. Size: Up to 1 m tall. Stem: Greyish-green, upright. With few or many bristly hairs, depending on subspecies. Leaves: Up to 12 cm long, almost heart-shaped in rosette, with slight lobes, and becoming narrower, smaller and lance-shaped and stem-clasping higher up. Often covered in greyish waxy coating. Flowers: Pink or reddish typical poppy flowers with petals 4-8 cm long with purple spots at the base. Fruit and Seeds: Either relatively small or large (depending on subspecies) 1.5-5 cm long cylindrical or globular capsules. Habitat: Cropping areas, disturbed areas, grasslands, old gardens. Distinguishing Features: Upper leaves clasp stem unlike Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas). Weed Status: Other Weed Weed Type: Lifeform: Herbaceous

Example images for this weed