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Taxon  Report  
Papaver somniferum  L.
Opium poppy
Papaver somniferum is an annual herb that is not native to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Papaver
Family: Papaveraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Do not eat the fruit of this plant.

Communities: escaped cultivar

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
PLANTSPapaver somniferum var. setigerum
Information about  Papaver somniferum from other sources

[Wikipedia] History: Use of the opium poppy predates written history. The making and use of opium was known to the ancient Minoans.[59] Its sap was later named opion by the ancient Greeks. The English name is based on the Latin adaptation of the Greek form. Evidence of the early domestication of opium poppy has been discovered through small botanical remains found in regions of the Mediterranean and west of the Rhine River, predating circa 5000 BC.[60] These samples found in various Neolithic sites show the incredibly early cultivation and natural spread of the plant throughout western Europe. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 12/10/2024).