Distribution: Introduced and often escaping from cultivation, persisting for a short time.
Habitat: Waste areas, roadsides.
Flowers: June - July
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Growth Duration: Annual
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Glaucous annual, the usually simple stems 3-10 dm. tall, glabrous below.
Leaves alternate, sessile and cordate-clasping, shallowly lobed, the lobes toothed, the margins somewhat crinkly.
Flowers single on long, bristly, terminal peduncles; sepals 2, separately early-deciduous; petals 4, white to purple, large, wavy-margined; stamens numerous; style absent, stigma sessile, disk-like, with 5-15 round, stigmatic ridges.
Capsule glabrous, sub-globose, 2.5-5 cm. long.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 508. 1753. 1753.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Papaver somniferum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Papaver somniferum checklist entry.
E-Flora BC: Papaver somniferum atlas page.
CalPhotos: Papaver somniferum photos.
USDA Plants: Papaver somniferum information.
