Field poppy is a plant that will always remind me of holidays. And it's not about exotic trips, but about the Polish countryside.
It was there, in the fields sown with rye, wheat and oats, that I watched him most often. However, when you are a small boy, the qualities of this flower are not an argument to stay with it for longer.
It is only with age that a person notices the beauty of things that once did not absorb attention, and today are the object of admiration. This is also the case with field poppy flowers, the sight of which brings back memories of holidays in the countryside, grandparents, haymaking, harvest.
But the field poppy is not only beautiful red flowers, it is also a cultivated and medicinal plant. The field poppy is an annual plant that occurs only in the lowlands of Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Its flowering period is in May and lasts until August. The plant likes calcareous soils and grows up to 70 cm on them. The straight stem is covered with fine hairs and the leaves have slightly serrated edges. The plant is loved by insect pests and you can often observe clusters of black aphids on it.
Red field poppy flowers are made of four oval petals. At its base, we can observe a characteristic black spot. The flower has a pistil and several black stamens.
The fruit of the field poppy, can reach up to 3 cm in height. Inside, between the septa, there are tiny, brown, kidney-shaped seeds. Interestingly, the seeds of this plant can be stored for up to 40 years.
Medicinal uses
Flowers, and basically the petals themselves, are used for the production of medicinal preparations. They have been used since ancient times, and the main medicinal ingredient in poppy flowers is an alkaloid called readyna. It has analgesic and sedative properties, which is why it is used for neuroses and insomnia. It also has bactericidal properties and is used for various types of rinses. It is used in cosmetics as an additive to creams and other preparations for external use.
Narcotic effect
It is true that field poppy does not contain morphine, but the alkaloid contained in it, called readyna, when consumed in large doses, has a sedative, narcotic and hallucinogenic effect. An overdose of this alkaloid can even lead to death.
