| Opium Poppy | ||||||||||||||
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| Papaver somniferum L. |
The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the type of poppy from which opium and many refined opiates such as morphine, thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine are extracted. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for A poppy is any of a number of showy Flowers typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( Medical uses Morphine can be used as an analgesic in hospital settings to relieve pain in Myocardial infarction pain in Parameters work only in their own section When a parameter is not needed please leave it empty when a parameter is wrong just clear Codeine ( INN) or methylmorphine is an Opiate used for its Analgesic, antitussive and antidiarrheal properties Papaverine (pəˈpævəriːn is an Opium Alkaloid used primarily in the treatment of visceral Spasm, Vasospasm (especially those involving the Noscapine (also known as Narcotine or Anarcotine) is an Alkaloid Opioid Agonist from plants of the Papaveraceae family The binomial name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to its narcotic properties. The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden causing loss The seeds are important food items, and contain healthy oils used in salads worldwide. The plant itself is valuable for ornamental purposes.
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Varieties
Papaver somniferum is a species of plant with many sub-groups or varieties. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Colors of the flower vary widely, as do other physical characteristics such as number and shape of petals, number of pods, production of morphine, etc. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also
Papaver somniferum Paeoniflorum Group (sometimes called Papaver paeoniflorum) is a sub-type of opium poppy whose flowers are highly double, and are grown in many colors. Papaver somniferum Laciniatum Group (sometimes called Papaver laciniatum) is a sub-type of opium poppy whose flowers are highly double and deeply lobed, to the point of looking like a ruffly pompon. A pom-pon is at its most basic level a decorative ball of fluff
A few of the varieties, notably the "Norman" and "Przemko" varieties, have "low morphine" content (less than one percent), making them markedly less useful for drug production. Most varieties, however, including those most popular for ornamental use or seed production, have a higher morphine content. [1][2]
Legality
In the United States, opium is listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Controlled Substances Act ( CSA) was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control The Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA) is a United States Department of Justice Law enforcement agency tasked with combating drug smuggling and In addition, "Opium poppy and poppy straw" are also prohibited. [3] However, this is not typically enforced for poppies grown or sold for ornamental or food purposes. [1][4][5]
Opium poppy cultivation in the United Kingdom does not need a license, however, a license is required for those wishing to extract opium for medicinal products. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the [6]
Use as food
The seeds of the poppy are widely used as the popular "poppy seed" found in and on many food items such as bagels, bialys, muffins and cakes. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored A bagel is a bread product, traditionally made of Yeasted Wheat dough in the form of a roughly hand-sized ring which is first boiled in water and then baked Bialy, a Yiddish word short for bialystoker, from Białystok, a city in Poland, is a small roll that is a traditional dish in Polish Ashkenazi A muffin is somewhat like a small Cake, and though it does resemble a Cupcake in that they both have cylindrical bases and rounded conical tops they usually The seeds can be pressed to form poppyseed oil, which can be used in cooking, or as a carrier for oil-based paints. Poppyseed oil (also poppy seed oil or poppy oil) is oil extracted from the seeds of the Opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum Oil paint is a type of slow-drying Paint consisting of small Pigment particles suspended in a Drying oil. The primary flavor compound is 2-pentylfuran. [7]
Although the amount of opiates in poppy seeds is not enough to produce a narcotic effect in cooking or consumption,[1] the television show MythBusters demonstrated that one could test positive for narcotics after consuming 4 poppy seed bagels. MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the The show Brainiac: Science Abuse had subjects that tested positive with only 2 poppy seed bagels. Brainiac Science Abuse (often shortened to simply Brainiac) is a British entertainment TV show with a science motif This situation was parodied on the show Seinfeld. Seinfeld is an American Situation comedy, or sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5 1989 to May 14 1998 lasting nine seasons
In India, Iran and Turkey opium poppy is known as Khaskhas or Haşhaş (pronounced: "Hashhash" or in Persian: "Khash Khaash") and is considered a highly nutritious food item, mostly added in dough while baking bread, highly recommended for pregnant women and new mothers. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Dough is a paste made out of any Cereals (grains or leguminous crops by mixing the Flour with a small amount of Water.
In Lithuania and Eastern Slovakia a traditional meal is prepared for the Kūčios (Christmas Eve) dinner from the poppy seeds. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Kūčios (ˈkuːtʃoʊs is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Lithuania, held on the twenty fourth of December Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. They are ground and mixed with water; round yeast biscuits (kūčiukai) (slovak - Bobalky) are soaked in the resulting poppy seed 'milk' and served cold.
In Hungary poppy strudel and traditional bejgli is very popular in winter, especially during Christmas. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic For the typographical character nicknamed 'strudel' see At sign.
Poppies as medicine
In both India and Turkey, opium production is used for medicinal purposes, making poppy-based drugs, such as morphine or codeine, for domestic use or exporting raw poppy materials to other countries. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( The United States buys 80 percent of its medicinal opium from these two countries. However, there is an acute global shortage of opium poppy-based medicines some of which (morphine) are on the World Health Organisation's list of essential drugs as they are the most effective way of relieving severe pain. Essential medicines, as defined by the World Health Organization are "those drugs that satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population they should therefore A recent initiative to extend opium production for medicinal purposes called Poppy for Medicine was launched by The Senlis Council which thinks that Afghanistan could produce medicinal opium under a scheme similar to that operating in Turkey and India (see the Council's recent report "Poppy for Medicine" [1]). The Senlis Council The Senlis Council is an international Think tank known for its work in Afghanistan and other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Council proposes licensing poppy production in Afghanistan, within an integrated control system supported by the Afghan government and its international allies, in order to promote economic growth in the country, create vital drugs and combat poverty and the diversion of illegal opium to drug traffickers and terrorist elements. With poppy for medicine projects, opium poppy can be used as a valuable resource.
The British government has given the go ahead to the pharmaceutical company Macfarlan Smith (a Johnson Matthey company) to cultivate opium poppies in England for medicinal reasons. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Johnson Matthey plc ( is a British chemical company which has its headquarters near Holborn in central London. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This move is well received by British farmers, with a major opium poppy field based in Didcot, England. Didcot is a Town in the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (although formerly in Berkshire) England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland [8]
Ornamental cultivation
Many seed companies and nurseries grow and sell live plants and seeds in many highly beautiful variations. They are also sold dried for dried flower arrangements. This is technically illegal in the United States, but this is not generally enforced unless the plants are being sold for drug production. [1]
Many countries grow the plants; some of which rely heavily on the commercial production of the drug as a major source of income. As an additional source of profit, the same seeds are sold in the culinary trade shortly thereafter, making cultivation of the plant a significant source of income. This international trade in seeds of Papaver somniferum was addressed by a UN resolution "to fight the international trade in illicit opium poppy seeds" on July 28, 1998. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)
History
Use of the opium poppy predates written history. Images of opium poppies have been found in ancient Sumerian artifacts (ca. Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar 4000 BC)(southwest of modern Iran). The opium poppy was also known to the ancient Greeks, from whom it gained its modern name of Opium. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions In historic contexts from Greece remains have been discovered in proto-geometric contexts at sites such as kalapodi and Kastanas. Kalapodi is a village in Phocis, Central Greece. The name also denotes an archaeological site ca [9]
Opium was used for treating asthma, stomach illnesses, and bad eye sight. Asthma is a chronic Condition involving the Respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict become inflamed, and are The Opium Wars between China and the British Empire took place in the late 1830s when the Chinese attempted to stop the sale of opium by Britain, in China. The Opium Wars ( also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, lasted from 1839 to 1842 and 1856 to 1860 the climax of a trade dispute between China under the Qing China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. [9]
Many modern writers, particularly in the nineteenth century, have written on the opium poppy and its effects, notably L. Frank Baum with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Thomas de Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium Eater
The French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz used an opium hallucination for the program of his Symphonie Fantastique. Lyman Frank Baum ( May 15 1856 &ndash May 5 1919) was an American Author, Actor, and Independent filmmaker Thomas de Quincey (15 August 1785 &ndash 8 December 1859 was an English author and intellectual best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater Confessions of an English Opium-Eater ( 1821) is an autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his Laudanum ( In this work, a young artist overdoses on opium and experiences a series of visions of his unrequited love.
Sources and notes
Inline citations
- ^ a b c d "Poppy law" on Erowid. org
- ^ How potent are the major culinary (spicerack) varieties such as McCormick? from poppies. org
- ^ dea.gov
- ^ Making opium tea
- ^ Poppy tea information on Erowid. org
- ^ The painkilling fields: England's opium poppies that tackle the NHS morphine crisis, Press release, 2007-15-09.
- ^ Yiu H. Hui, Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering. CRC Press 2006. ISBN 0849398487
- ^ Review of undertakings by Macfarlan Smith Limited
- ^ a b History at Poppies International
General references
- The Heroin Harvest
- Comprehensive profile for Papaver somniferum from MaltaWildPlants. com
- Opium FAQ v1.0 from Opioids. com
- Opium Poppy Cultivation and Heroin Processing in Southeast Asia from the School of Pacific and Asian Studies DEAD LINK
Photos
- The Papaver somniferum Photo Gallery
- Photos of opium poppies on www.geopium.org
- Opium Poppy fields of North Tasmania
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