Information AboutPoppy |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT POPPY | |
| flowers | |
| spices | |
| edible nuts and seeds | |
| symbols | |
|
, Iran ]] A poppy is any of a number of showy Flower s, typically with one per Stem , belonging to the Poppy Family . They include a number of attractive wildflower species with showy flowers found growing singularly or in large groups; many species are also grown in gardens. Those that are grown in gardens include large plants used in a mixed herbaceous boarder and small plants that are grown in rock or alpine gardens. The flower color of poppy species include: White , Pink , Yellow , Orange , Red and Blue ; some have dark center markings. The species that have been cultivated for many years also include many other colors ranging from dark solid colors to soft pastel shades. The center of the flower has a whorl of Stamen s surrounded by a cup- or bowl-shaped collection of four to six Petal s. Prior to blooming, the petals are crumpled in Bud , and as blooming finishes, the petals often lie flat before falling away. '')]] Poppies may be found in the Genera :
The Pollen of the oriental poppy, ''Papaver orientale'', is dark blue. The pollen of the field poppy or corn poppy (''Papaver rhoeas'') is dark blue to Grey . Bee s will use poppies as a Pollen Source . The opium poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is grown for Opium , Opiates or Seeds to be used in cooking and baking, eg., Hungarian poppy seed rolls. POPPIES IN AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan is the world's leading producer of Opium , from the poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Poppy cultivation is currently illegal, and so all opium produced is diverted to the illegal narcotics trade. Afghanistan is also the world's leading source of Heroin , made from opium. According to opioids.com, during the Taliban era, by February 2001, production had been reduced from 12,600 acres to only 17 acres. Since the Anglo-American invasion in 2001, the cultivation has increased dramaticaly. The Anglo-American alliance and the Afghan authorities claim they have carried out programmes to eradicate poppy production to try and limit the illegal traffic of opium and heroin. Although poppy cultivation decreased for a time, since 2003 the trend has reversed and cultivation has increased. Millions of Afghans depend on poppy cultivation for their livelihood, and alternative development programmes have not been put in place by the international community to replace lost livelihoods. Some have suggested that eradication has failed and another policy should be put in place. The Senlis Council is one of the organizations working to find an alternative to eradication and hopes that a project for Opium Licensing for medicinal use could provide a solution to the problems of diversion, poverty among the rural population and a shortage of essential poppy-based medicines such as morphine and codeine.http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/documents/poppy_medicine_technical_dossier SYMBOLISM Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of their (commonly) blood-red color. In Greco-Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead.L. Frank Baum, Michael Patrick Hearn, ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz'', p 173, ISBN 0-517-500868 Poppies are used as emblems on Tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep. This aspect was used, fictionally, in '' The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz '' to create magical poppy fields, dangerous because they caused those who passed through them to sleep forever.L. Frank Baum, Michael Patrick Hearn, ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz'', p 173, ISBN 0-517-500868 A second meaning for the depiction and use of poppies in Greco-Roman myths is the symbolism of the bright scarlet colour as signifying the promise of resurrection after death. Robert Graves , ''The Greek Myths'', 24. 15 p 96, ISBN 0-14-001026-2 The poppy of wartime remembrance is the red Corn Poppy , ''Papaver rhoeas''. This poppy is a common Weed in Europe and is found in many locations, including Flanders Fields . This is because the corn poppy was one of the only plants that grew on the battlefield. It thrives in disturbed soil, which was abundant on the battlefield due to intensive bombing. During the few weeks the plant blossomed, the battlefield was colored blood red, not just from the red flower that grew in great numbers but also from the actual blood of the dead soldiers and civilians that lay scattered and untended to on the otherwise barren battlegrounds. Thus the plant became a symbol for the dead World War I soldiers. In many Commonwealth countries, Artificial , Paper versions of this poppy are worn to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in World War I and other wars, during the weeks preceding Remembrance Day on November 11 . It has been adopted as a symbol by The Royal British Legion in their Poppy Appeal . In New Zealand and Australia, paper poppies are widely distributed by the Returned Services Association leading up to ANZAC day (April 25th). The Golden Poppy , ''Eschscholzia californica'', is the state flower of California . FALSE POSITIVE DRUG TESTS Although the drug Opium is produced by "milking" latex from the unripe fruits ("seed pods") rather than from the seeds, all parts of the plant can contain or carry the opium alkaloids, especially Morphine and Codeine . This means that eating foods (e.g., Muffins ) that contain poppy seeds can result in a false positive for opiates in a drug test. This was considered "'' also did experiments where a priest ate several poppy seed bagels and gave a sample, which also resulted in a false positive. The results of this experiment are inconclusive by current standards, because a test was used with an opiate cutoff level of 300 ng/mL instead of the current , depending on seed potency and quantity ingested. Some toxicology labs still continue to use a cuttoff level of 300 ng/mL {Link without Title} . TRIVIA
GALLERY |
Image:Crowning P Somniferum TopviewjpgImmature Crowning
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Opium" class="copylinks">Opium Poppy, top view |
|
Image:PoppyClosejpgCloseup Of A Poppy Flower In Private Garden,
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Derbyshire" class="copylinks">Derbyshire , England, UK, May 2007 |
|
Image:Poppy-purplepngClose Up View Of A Poppy Bloom (and Buds In The Background) ''Papaver Somniferum'' See
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Opium_Poppy" class="copylinks">Opium Poppy |
|
Image:Poppy-closeup2jpgCloseup Of A Poppy Flower At The Monastery Of Lorch,
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Baden-Württemberg" class="copylinks">Baden-Württemberg , Germany |
|
Image:California Poppies3jpg
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/California_Poppy" class="copylinks">California Poppy |
|
Image:OldpoppiesjpgField Of Poppies, From A Photograph By
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Sergei_Mikhailovich_Prokudin-Gorskii" class="copylinks">Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii , taken ca 1912 |
|
Image:HPIM4092JPGA Wild Field Of Poppies, Above The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Wye_Valley" class="copylinks">Wye Valley , UK , in June 2006 |
|
Image:Poppy2004JPGPoppies Near
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Kelling" class="copylinks">Kelling , North Norfolk , UK , in June 2002 |
|
|
|