PAPAVERACEAE
Morphological description
Herbaceous usually. Laticiferous.
Leaves
Leaves simple, spiral, deeply incised, exstipulate.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence usually at tips of stems also as solitary flower or axillary.
Flowers
Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic; ovary superior. Usually 1-celled petals free, stamens many.
Fruit
Fruit usually capsules.
Seed
Seed arillate.
Different from: Confusion with other families unlikely.
Distribution: A mainly northern hemisphere family. In Malesia only introduced species, among others Argemone mexicana.
Notes: Argemone mexicana is planted as an ornamental. - Papaver somniferum produces opium.
Literature: C.G.G. J. van Steenis, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1954) 114-117.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Papaveraceae 19, 83, 104 - Papaver 88.
Illustrations: Fig. 134. Argemone mexicana L. (Papaveraceae). Reproduced from C.A. Backer, Weed Flora of Javanese Sugar-cane fields, Atlas pt 9 (1936) t. 260.
Image in PhytoImages for Papaveraceae