poppy, common name for some members of the Papaveraceae, a family composed chiefly of herbs of the Northern Hemisphere having a characteristic milky or colored sap. Most species are native to the Old World; many are cultivated in gardens for their brilliantly colored if short-lived blossoms. Many of the species have several varieties and show a wide range of colors, especially in red, yellow, and white shades. The true poppy genus is Papaver, but many flowers of related genera are also called poppies. The most frequently cultivated are the Oriental poppy (P. orientale), usually bearing a large scarlet flower with a purplish black base, and the corn poppy (P. rhoeas) and its variety, the Shirley poppy. Other well-known species include the arctic Iceland poppy (P. nudicaule), the celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) of North America, and the cream cups (Platystemon californica) and California poppy, or eschscholtzia (Eschscholtzia californica), of the W United States (the latter is the state flower of California). The Old World greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), also called swallowwart or wartweed, was formerly believed efficacious in removing warts and in restoring failing eyesight. (The lesser celandine is an unrelated plant of the buttercup family.) The orange-red sap of the bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), an early spring wildflower of E North America, was used by Native Americans as a dye and skin stain. This and many other members of the family are employed for various medicinal purposes. Economically, the most important plant in the family is the opium poppy (P. somniferum), now widely cultivated from Europe to East Asia. The milky sap of its unripe seed pods is the source of opium opium, substance derived by collecting and drying the milky juice in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. Opium varies in color from yellow to dark brown and has a characteristic odor and a bitter taste.
..... Click the link for more information. and several other similar drugs, e.g., morphine morphine, principal derivative of opium, which is the juice in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It was first isolated from opium in 1803 by the German pharmacist F. W. A.
..... Click the link for more information. , codeine codeine , alkaloid found in opium. It is a narcotic whose effects, though less potent, resemble those of morphine. An effective cough suppressant, it is mainly used in cough medicines. Like other narcotics, codeine is addictive. See drug addiction and drug abuse.
..... Click the link for more information. , and heroin heroin , opiate drug synthesized from morphine (see narcotic). Originally produced in 1874, it was thought to be not only nonaddictive but useful as a cure for respiratory illness and morphine addiction, and capable of relieving morphine withdrawal symptoms.
..... Click the link for more information. . Poppyseed, also called maw seed, is not narcotic; used as birdseed and for a flavoring or garnish in baking, it is also ground for flour. Poppy oil, derived from the seeds, is employed in cooking and illumination and in paints, varnishes, and soaps. The poppy has been the symbol of the dead and of sleep since antiquity. The poppies of "Flanders fields" are celebrated in a poem by John McCrae and are the Memorial Day emblem of World War veterans. Poppies are classified in the division Magnoliophyta Magnoliophyta , division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem).
..... Click the link for more information. , class Magnoliopsida, order Papaverales, family Papaveraceae.
poppy
poppy [′päp·ē]
An ornament generally used for the finials of pew ends and similar pieces of church furniture.
..... Click the link for more information. and several other similar drugs, e.g., morphine morphine, principal derivative of opium, which is the juice in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It was first isolated from opium in 1803 by the German pharmacist F. W. A.
..... Click the link for more information. , codeine codeine , alkaloid found in opium. It is a narcotic whose effects, though less potent, resemble those of morphine. An effective cough suppressant, it is mainly used in cough medicines. Like other narcotics, codeine is addictive. See drug addiction and drug abuse.
..... Click the link for more information. , and heroin heroin , opiate drug synthesized from morphine (see narcotic). Originally produced in 1874, it was thought to be not only nonaddictive but useful as a cure for respiratory illness and morphine addiction, and capable of relieving morphine withdrawal symptoms.
..... Click the link for more information. . Poppyseed, also called maw seed, is not narcotic; used as birdseed and for a flavoring or garnish in baking, it is also ground for flour. Poppy oil, derived from the seeds, is employed in cooking and illumination and in paints, varnishes, and soaps. The poppy has been the symbol of the dead and of sleep since antiquity. The poppies of "Flanders fields" are celebrated in a poem by John McCrae and are the Memorial Day emblem of World War veterans. Poppies are classified in the division Magnoliophyta Magnoliophyta , division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem).
..... Click the link for more information. , class Magnoliopsida, order Papaverales, family Papaveraceae.
poppy
1. any of numerous papaveraceous plants of the temperate genus Papaver, having red, orange, or white flowers and a milky sap: see corn poppy, Iceland poppy, opium poppy
2. any of several similar or related plants, such as the California poppy, prickly poppy, horned poppy, and Welsh poppy
3. Obsolete any of the drugs, such as opium, that are obtained from these plants
4. a strong red to reddish-orange colour
poppy [′päp·ē]
(botany)
Any of various ornamental herbs of the genusPapaver, family Papaveraceae, with large, showy flowers; opium is obtained from the fruits of the opium poppy (P. somniferum).
poppyhead, poppy
poppyhead
poppy
of Greece. [Flower Symbolism: WB, 7: 264]
poppy
symbol of consolation. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 176; Kunz, 329]
See : Grief
poppy
attribute of Hypnos, Greek god of sleep. [Art: Hall, 250]
See : Sleep
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|