Papaver rhoeas
L., Sp. Pl. 507. 1753; Hook. f. & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1:
117. 1872.
Beng.: Lalposht; Guj.: Lala, Lalkhaskhas; Hindi: Lalpost, Post, Postekehiya; Mal.:
Chovanna-kashakhasa; Sans.: Rakta-posta-vrikshaka; Tam.: Siguppu-postaka, Sigappu-gashagasha; Tel.: Eva-gassa-gassa-la, Eva-postakaya; Urdu: Gulela-kebija, Khas-khashiyah.
Herbs annual erect caulescent hispid 30 - 50 cm high; stems simple or sparsely branched, covered with rigid horizontally spreadmg 1 - 3 mm long bristles. Basal leaves ovate, sinuate, pinnatisect, 6 - 18 x 3 - 9 cm; segments linear, acute, dentate, bristly hairy, hispid or glabrous; terminal segments much larger than lateral segments; basal and lower leaves petioled, larger less dissected; upper cauline leaves sessile, smaller, much dissected, with amplexicaul bases. Peduncles erect, dilate at summit, 10 - 25 cm long, patently hairy, yellowish; flower buds obovoid, blunt at apex, hornless, 1.5 - 3 x 1 - 2 cm, coarsely tuberculately hairy; flowers solitary, terminal, ca 7.5 cm in diam., bristly hairy. Sepals 2, bristly hairy. Petals obovate, suborbicular, 3 - 4 x 3 - 6 cm, red with black basal blotch. Stamens numerous; filaments linear, filiform; anthers oblong, ca 1 mm long. Capsules campanulate, 1 - 2 cm long, glabrous; stigmatic rays 9 - 13 (-15); seeds dark brown.
Fl. & Fr. April - Sept.
Distrib. India: Usually under cultivation, sometimes run wild. Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Nepal, Europe and N. Africa.
Notes. The latex from the capsules is narcotic and has slight sedative properties.
Chromosome no. n = 7 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15: 117 -123.1972); 2n = 14 (Mitra in Sci &. cult. 30(7): 344 - 345. 1964).
Herbs annual erect caulescent hispid 30 - 50 cm high; stems simple or sparsely branched, covered with rigid horizontally spreadmg 1 - 3 mm long bristles. Basal leaves ovate, sinuate, pinnatisect, 6 - 18 x 3 - 9 cm; segments linear, acute, dentate, bristly hairy, hispid or glabrous; terminal segments much larger than lateral segments; basal and lower leaves petioled, larger less dissected; upper cauline leaves sessile, smaller, much dissected, with amplexicaul bases. Peduncles erect, dilate at summit, 10 - 25 cm long, patently hairy, yellowish; flower buds obovoid, blunt at apex, hornless, 1.5 - 3 x 1 - 2 cm, coarsely tuberculately hairy; flowers solitary, terminal, ca 7.5 cm in diam., bristly hairy. Sepals 2, bristly hairy. Petals obovate, suborbicular, 3 - 4 x 3 - 6 cm, red with black basal blotch. Stamens numerous; filaments linear, filiform; anthers oblong, ca 1 mm long. Capsules campanulate, 1 - 2 cm long, glabrous; stigmatic rays 9 - 13 (-15); seeds dark brown.
Fl. & Fr. April - Sept.
Distrib. India: Usually under cultivation, sometimes run wild. Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Nepal, Europe and N. Africa.
Notes. The latex from the capsules is narcotic and has slight sedative properties.
Chromosome no. n = 7 (Koul et al. in Nucleus 15: 117 -123.1972); 2n = 14 (Mitra in Sci &. cult. 30(7): 344 - 345. 1964).
