58. Papaver rhoeas, Linn.

The medicinal plant Papaver rhoeas is a member of the Papaveraceae (poppy) family. This page includes its habitat, botanical descption, medicinal uses (eg., Ayurveda), chemical constituents and history of use in modern and ancient India.

Index in Flora of British India (Hooker): 1. 117.

Vernacular:—Lala, lal-posta (H.); Lal poshta, Lal-poshter-gachh (B.); jungli-Mudrika (Bomb.); Tambadya-Khasa-Khesa-che jhada (M.); Lala; lal-khas-khas-nu-jhada (Guz.); Lai Khas-Khas-ka-jhar (Dec.); Shivappu-gasha-gasha-chedi; Shigappu-postaka-chedi (Tam.); Erra-gassa-gasala chetlie; Erra posta-Kaya chethe (TelJ; Kempu-Khasa Khasa Gida (Kan.); Chovanna Kasha-Kashach-cheti (Malay.).

Habitat:—Kashmir.

Botanical description:—An annual herb, with a milky juice; branched, hispid, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves 1-2-pinatifid; leaf-lobes more or less cut, ascending, awned.

Scapes: with spreading and adpressed hairs.

Flowers: scarlet, 3-4 in. diam.

Sepals: hairly above. Pairs of petal unequal; filaments filiform.

Stigmatic rays: overlapping, i. e, reaching or exceeding the edge of the disk.

Capsule: stalked, subglobose glabrous.

Parts used:—The capsules.

Medicinal uses:—The milk from the capsules is narcotic and has slightly sedative properties. (Watt.)