Papaver Papaver, L.

2. P. rhoeas L. View in CoL , Sp. PI. 507 (1753).

Patent-hispid annual 25- 90 cm. Leaves 3-15 cm, 1- to 2-pinnate; lower petiolate, upper sessile; segments coarsely dentate, acuminate, terminal usually larger than laterals. Pedicel patent-hispid. Petals 30-45 mm, orbicular, usually red, sometimes with dark spot at base. Filaments filiform, purple; anthers bluish. Capsule 1-2 cm, subglobose or broadly obovoid, rounded at base, slightly ribbed, glabrous. Stigmatic disc more or less flat; rays (5-)8-12(—18). 2/7 = 14. Throughout most o f Europe as a weed o f cultivation and native at least in the south; casual in the north. All except Fa Is Rs (N, B,?C) Sb Tu. Very variable. The following taxa may be worthy of specific distinction: P. strigosum (Boenn.) Schur , Verh. Naturf. Ver. Brünn 15 (5): 66 (1877), occurring through much of the range of 2, with appressed-hispid pedicel and unspotted, usually purple petals.

P. tumidulum Klokov in Klokov & Wissjul., Fl. RSS Ucr. 5: 502 (1953), from Ukraine, with a large dark spot (sometimes double) on the petals, and a capsule 1-2-2 x 0-6-0-8 cm. P. tenuissiinum Fedde, Bull. Herb. Boiss. ser. 2, 5: 446 (1905), from C. Greece, a small plant (up to 25 cm), with appressedhispid pedicel and a distinctly stipitate, broadly obovoid capsule 0-75-1 cm. P. commutatum Fischer & Meyer , Ind. Sem. Hort. Petrop. 4: 41 (1837), from Kriti and Krym (and Asia Minor), robust, with petals distinctly spotted at about the middle, and slightly stipitate, broadly obovoid, capsule. (3-9). P. dubium group. Like 2 but somewhat glaucous; upper part of stem and pedicels with appressed hairs; leaves with shorter and wider segments, terminal one not larger than the laterals; petals usually paler red; capsule 1-5-2 x 0-5-0-75 cm, obovoid-oblong, at least twice as long as wide, and tapering at base; stigmatic rays usually 7-9.

Very variable. Many described taxa have been given infraspecific or separate specific rank. The following seem to be the most im portant:

1 Capsule distinctly stipitate (carpophore at least 1 mm) 2 Petals unspotted 8. stipitatum 2 Petals with two dark spots 9. maeoticum 1 Capsule sessile or subsessile 3 All leaves bipinnatifid 6. arenarium 3 Leaves mostly simply pinnatifid or pinnatisect 4 Anthers violet 3. dubium 4 Anthers yellow or yellow-brown 5 Stems with patent hairs below 7. pinnatifidum 5 Stems appressed-hairy throughout, or subglabrous 6 Leaves subglabrous 5. laevigatum 6 Leaves ± hispid 4. lecoqii