Overview
Papaveraceae, informally known as the poppy family, are an economically important family of 44 genera and approximately 770 species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates, but almost unknown in the tropics. Most are herbaceous plants, but a few are shrubs and small trees.
The plants may be annual, biennial, or perennial. Usually herbaceous, a few species form shrubs or evergreen trees. They are lactiferous, producing latex, which may be milky or watery, colored or plain. All parts contain a well-developed duct system (the se ducts are called "laticifers"), producing a milky latex, a watery white, yellow or red juice.
The simple leaves are alternate or sometimes whorled. They have petioles and are not enclosed by a sheath. The leaves are usually lobed or pinnatifid (i.e. consisting of several not entirely separate leaflets), or much-divided. There are no stipules.
The plants are hermaphroditic and are pollinated mostly by insects (even as flower nectaries are lacking; entomophilous), a few by the wind (anemophilous). There is a distinct calyx and corolla, except in Macleaya where the corolla is lacking. The flowers are medium-sized or large and they look spectacular. The terminal flowers solitary in most species. In others the terminal inflorescence is cymose or racemose. The flowers are odourless and regular.
There are many stamens, mostly 16 to 60, arranged in two separate whorls, the outer one with stamens alternate with the petals, the inner one opposite. The gynoecium consists of a compound pistil with 2 to 100 carpels. The ovary is superior and 1-locular. The ovary is without a footstalk (sessile) or on a short stem (stipitate).
The non-fleshy fruit is usually a capsule, breaking open at maturity to release the seeds through pores (poricidal), or through the partitions between the cells (septicidal), or by means of valves (valvular). The numerous seeds are small. Their nutritive tissue (endosperm) is oily and farinose. The fruit of Platystemon is a schizocarp.
Almost all of these plants contain alkaloids. Many are poisonous. The Mexican Prickly Poppy (pictured above) is poisonous if taken internally and may cause edema and glaucoma. Even if an animal, such as a goat, should persist in grazing on this plant, not only will the animal suffer but so will those who drink its milk, because the poisons are passed along in the milk.
Taxonomy
The APG II system (2003; unchanged from the APG system of 1998) places the family in the order Ranunculales, in the clade eudicots. However, APG does provide for the option to segregate two families, as optional segregate. Thus, there are two possible circumscriptions:
- Papaveraceae sensu lato, including the plants that would otherwise form the fam ilies Fumariaceae and Pteridophyllaceae. (see subfamilies)
- Papaveraceae sensu stricto, excluding these plants.
The family sensu stricto conforms to the family as recognised by the Cronquist system, of 1981 (Cronquist recognised Fumariaceae as separate). This comprises about 26 genera and about 250 species. The description given above applies to the family in this narrow sense.
The single genus transferred when Pteridophyllaceae is included in Papaveraceae is :
- Pteridophyllum
The 20 genera transferred when Fumariaceae is included in Papaveraceae are :
Subfamilies
For discussions of subfamilies, see Carolan et al. (2006) and Blattner and Kadereit (1999): Eschscholzioideae, Papaveroideae (including Platystemonoideae), and Chelidonioideae.
The two taxa considered subfamilies that have also been considered as separate families are the Fumariaceae (Bercht. & J. Presl, 1820) and the Pteridophyllaceae (Murb., 1912) Nakai ex Reveal & Hoogland, 1991.
Cultivation
The family is well loved for the striking flowers, with many species grown as ornamental plants, including California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica, the California state flower), the stunning blue Himalayan p oppies (Meconopsis), several species of Papaver, and the wildflower Bloodroot. The family also contains the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is the source of opium and opiates, as well as poppy seeds used in cooking and baking, and poppyseed oil.
Symbolism
The opium poppy and corn poppy are symbols, respectively, of sleep and death. In Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and Australia the corn poppy is worn in remembrance of World War I.
are an economically important family of 44 genera and approximately 770 species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates, but almost unknown in the tropics. Most are herbaceous plants, but a few are shrubs and small trees.The plants may be annual, biennial, or perennial. Usually herbaceous, a few species form shrubs or evergreen trees. They are lactiferous, producing latex, which may be milky or watery, colored or plain. All parts contain a well-developed duct system (these ducts are called "laticifers"), producing a milky latex, a watery white, yellow or red juice.
The simple leaves are alternate or sometimes whorled. They have petioles and are not enclosed by a sheath. The leaves are usually lobed or pinnatifid (i.e. consisting of several not entirely separate leaflets), or much-divided. There are no stipules.
The plants are hermaphroditic and are pollinated mostly by insects (even as flower nectaries are lacking; entomophilous), a few by the wind (anemophilous). There is a distinct calyx and corolla, except in Macleaya where the corolla is lacking. The flowers are medium-sized or large and they look spectacular. The terminal flowers solitary in most species. In others the terminal inflorescence is cymose or racemose. The flowers are odourless and regular.
There are many stamens, mostly 16 to 60, arranged in two separate whorls, the outer one with stamens alternate with the petals, the inner one opposite. The gynoecium consists of a compound pistil with 2 to 100 carpels. The ovary is superior and 1-locular. The ovary is without a footstalk (sessile) or on a short stem (stipitate).
The non-fleshy fruit is usually a capsule, breaking open at maturity to release the seeds through pores (poricidal), or through the partitions between the cells (septicidal), or by means of valves (valvular). The numerous seeds are small. Their nutritive tissue (endosperm) is oily and farinose. The fruit of Platystemon is a schizocarp.
Almost all of these plants contain alkaloids. Many are poisonous. The Mexican Prickly Poppy (pictured above) is poisonous if taken internally and may cause edema and glaucoma. Even if an animal, such as a goat, should persist in grazing on this plant, not only will the animal suffer but so will those who drink its milk, because the poisons are passed along in the milk.
Taxonomy
The APG II system (2003; unchanged from the APG system of 1998) places the family in the order Ranunculales, in the clade eudicots. However, APG does provide for the option to segregate two families, as optional segregate. Thus, there are two possible circumscriptions:
- Papaveraceae sensu lato, including the plants that would otherwise form the families Fumariaceae and Pteridophyllaceae. (see subfamilies)
- Papaveraceae sensu stricto, excluding these plants.
The family sensu stricto conforms to the family as recognised by the Cronquist system, of 1981 (Cronquist recognised Fumariaceae as separate). This comprises about 26 genera and about 250 species. The description given above applies to the family in this narrow sense.
The single genus transferred when Pteridophyllaceae is included in Papaveraceae is :
- Pteridophyllum
The 20 genera transferred when Fumariaceae is included in Papaveraceae are :
Subfamilies
For discussions of subfamilies, see Carolan et al. (2006) and Blattner and Kadereit (1999): Eschscholzioideae, Papaveroideae (including Platystemonoideae), and Chelidonioideae.
The two taxa considered subfamilies that have also been considered as separate families are the Fumariaceae (Bercht. & J. Presl, 1820) and the Pteridophyllaceae (Murb., 1912) Nakai ex Reveal & Hoogland, 1991.
Cultivation
The family is well loved for the striking flowers, with many species grown as ornamental plants, including California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica, the California state flower), the stunning blue Himalayan poppies (Meconopsis), several species of Papaver, and the wildflower Bloodroot. The family also contains the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is the source of opium and opiates, as well as poppy seeds used in cooking and baking, and poppyseed oil.
Symbolism
The opium poppy and corn poppy are symbols, respectively, of sleep and death. In Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and Australia the corn poppy is worn in remembrance of World War I.
References
External links
- Papaveraceae in Topwalks
- Papaveraceae [sensu stricto] in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
- Papaveraceae [sensu lato] in the Flora of North America
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser [sensu stricto]
- links at CSDL
- Family Papaveraceae Flowers in Israel
- *JAMES C. CAROLAN, INGRID L. I. HOOK, MARK W. CHASE, JOACHIM W. KADEREIT and TREVOR R. HODKINSON. Phylogenetics of Papaver and Related Genera Based on DNA Sequences from ITS Nuclear Ribosomal DNA and Plastid trnL Intron and trnL?F Intergenic Spacers. Annals of Botany 2006 98(1):141-155
- Frank R. Blattner and Joachim W. Kadereit. Morphological evolution and ecological diversification of the forest-dwelling poppies (Papaveraceae: Chelidonioideae) as deduced from a molecular phylogeny of the ITS region. Plant Systematics and Evolution Volume 219, Numbers 3-4 / September, 1999 181-197
Taxonomy
The Family Papaveraceae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subfamily (4): Chelidonioideae · Fumarioideae · Papaveroideae · Pteridophylloideae
- Tribe (9): Amygdaleae · Chelidonieae · Corydaleae · Eschscholzieae · Fumarieae · Glaucieae · Hypecoeae · Papavereae · Platystemoneae
- Genus (83): Adlumia · Adlumina · Aplectrocapnos · Arctomecon · Argemone · Belharnosia · Bicuculla · Bikukulla · Bocconia · Borckhausenia · Bulbocapnos · Calomecon · Canbya · Capnodes · Capnoides · Capnorchis · Cathcartia · Cerastites · Ceratocapnos · Chelidonium · Chiazospermum · Chlidonium · Chryseis · Closterandra · Coreanomecon · Corydalis · Cryptocapnos · Cysticapnos · Cysticorydalis · Dactylicapnos · Dendromecon · Dicentra · Diclytra · Dicranostigma · Dielytra · Discocapnos · Dissosperma · Echtrus · Ehrendorferia · Enomegra · Eomecon · Eschscholtzia · Eschscholzia · Eucapnos · Fumaria · Fumariola · Glacium · Glaucium · Hesperomecon · Hunnemannia · Hylomecon · Hypecoum · Ichtyoselmis · Italicum · Lamprocapnos · Macleaya · Macleya · Marzaria · Meconella · Meconopsis · Mnemosilla · Mosenthinia · Neckeria · Odoptera · Omonoia · Papaver · Phacocapnos · Pistolochia · Platycapnos · Platystemon · Platystigma · Pseudofumaria · Pseudognaphalium · Pteridophyllum · Roborowskia · Roemeria · Romneya · Rupicapnos · Sanguinaria · Sarcocapnos · Stylomecon · Stylophorum · Trigonocapnos
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 3,600 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Family Papaveraceae.
Genera
Adlumia
Adlumia is a genus of two species in the Papaveraceae family. One species, A. fungosa, is commonly known as the Allegheny vine, Climbing Fumitory, or mountain fringe. It is found in the eastern US, north of VA and TN, as far west as IA and MN, as well as in eastern Canada. The other species, , is native to Korea and immediately neighbouring parts of China and southeast Russia. [more]
Adlumina
Aplectrocapnos
Arctomecon
Arctomecon is a genus of the poppy family Papaveraceae commonly called the bear poppies or bear-paw poppies, after the distinctive appearance of the leaves. The three species occur only in the weastern part of the Mojave Desert of North America, and are all uncommon. [more]
Argemone
Argemone is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. It contains 30 to 32 species, commonly known as prickly poppies, that are native to the Americas and Hawaii. The generic name originated as a??e???? in Greek and was applied by Dioscorides to a poppy-like plant used to treat cataracts. [more]
Belharnosia
Bicuculla
Bikukulla
Bocconia
Bocconia is a of the family Papaveraceae. It was named after the Italian botanist Paolo Boccone by Carolus Linnaeus, and contains about 10 species. [more]
Borckhausenia
Bulbocapnos
Calomecon
Canbya
Canbya, also known as the "pygmy poppies", is a genus of the poppy family Papaveraceae consisting of two species found in the dry parts of western North America. Both types are small, no more than a few centimeters tall, with flowers less than 10 mm across. [more]
Capnodes
Capnoides
Capnorchis
Cathcartia
Cerastites
Ceratocapnos
Chelidonium
Chelidonium majus (greater celandine; in Europe tetterwort, although in America the same name refers to bloodroot) is a herbaceous perennial plant, the only species in the genus Chelidonium. It is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North America. [more]
Chiazospermum
Chlidonium
Chryseis
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Closterandra
Coreanomecon
Corydalis
Corydalis is a genus of about 300 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Fumariaceae, native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere and also southern Africa. Common names include corydalis and fumewort. [more]
Cryptocapnos
Cysticapnos
Cysticorydalis
Dactylicapnos
Dendromecon
Dendromecon, the tree poppy, is a genus of one or two species of shrubs to small trees, native to California and northern Baja California. [more]
Dicentra
Dicentra is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Fumariaceae, native to Asia and North America. The common name, bleeding heart, is used for many of the species. This name comes from the appearance of the pink flower, which resembles the shape of a heart with a drop of blood descending. [more]
Diclytra
Dicranostigma
Dicranostigma, also known as the eastern horned poppies, is a genus in the poppy family Papaveraceae, the species of which are native to the Himalaya and western China. Although resembling the true horned poppies of Glaucium, they have stigmas with two lobes and fruit with only traces of the "horns". [more]
Dielytra
Dicentra is a genus of about 20 species of flowering plants in the family Fumariaceae, native to Asia and North America. The common name, bleeding heart, is used for many of the species. This name comes from the appearance of the pink flower, which resembles the shape of a heart with a drop of blood descending. All parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested. [more]
Discocapnos
Dissosperma
Echtrus
Ehrendorferia
Enomegra
Eomecon
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Eschscholtzia
Eschscholzia is a of 12 flowering plants in the Papaveraceae (poppy) family. The genus was named after the Baltic German botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz (1793-1831). [more]
Eschscholzia
Eschscholzia is a genus of 12 flowering plants in the Papaveraceae (poppy) family. The genus was named after the Baltic German botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz (1793-1831). [more]
Eucapnos
Fumaria
Fumaria is a genus of annual herbaceous flowering plants in the family Fumariaceae, native to temperate Europe and Asia. It is closely allied to Corydalis, and some botanists combine the two genera. The common name is fumitory. [more]
Fumariola
Glacium
Glaucium
Glaucium (Horned Poppy) is a genus of about 25 species of annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae, native to Europe, north Africa, and southwest and central Asia. The species commonly occur in saline habitats, including coasts and salt pans. [more]
Hesperomecon
Herbs annual, short-caulescent, subscapose, distinctly pubescent, from fibrous roots; sap clear. Stems leafy at and near base, erect, branching from base. Leaves opposite, sessile; blade broadly linear, unlobed. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, 1-flowered; bracts absent; bud nodding. Flowers: sepals 3, with overlapping, loosely connivent flaps; petals 6, occasionally more on robust specimens; stamens 12 or more, usually in several series; filaments dilated distally; pistil 3-carpellate; ovary 1-locular; stigmas 3. Capsules erect, 3-valved, dehiscing from apex. Seeds many, aril absent. x = 7.[1] [more]
Hunnemannia
Hunnemannia fumariifolia, also known as the tulip poppy or Mexican tulip poppy is a poppy from the highlands of Mexico. [more]
Hylomecon
Hylomecon vernalis, also known as the forest poppy, is a poppy of the Far East, ranging from Manchuria to Japan. [more]
Hypecoum
Ichtyoselmis
Italicum
Lamprocapnos
Macleaya
Macleaya (Plume Poppy) is a genus of Papaveraceae family. [more]
Macleya
Marzaria
Meconella
Herbs, annual, caulescent, glabrous or glabrate, from fibrous roots. Stems leafy, mostly at base, erect to decumbent, simple or branching. Leaves: basal rosulate, winged-petiolate; cauline opposite or whorled, subsessile or sessile; blades unlobed. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, 1-flowered; bracts absent; bud globose, nodding. Flowers: receptacle sometimes expanded into small ring beneath calyx; sepals 3, with overlapping, loosely connivent flaps; petals 6; stamens 4-6 in 1 series or ca. 12 in 2 series; filaments usually dilated distally; pistil 3-carpellate; ovary 1-locular, linear-oblong; stigmas 3. Capsules erect, linear, greatly elongate at maturity and often spirally twisted, dehiscing apically by separation of valvelike carpels. Seeds few, black, shiny, aril absent. x = 8.[2] [more]
Meconopsis
Perennial, often prickly, simple or rarely branched, often tall and robust herbs with yellow latex. Leaves entire or lobed, radical stalked, cauline sessile or subsessile. Inflorescence solitary, racemed, pseudo-racemed or panicled. Flowers often large, showy, blue, yellow or purplish-red. Sepals 2(-4), usually caducous, valvate. Petals 4 (often varying from 5-10), free, obovate to broadly ovate. Stamens many, multiseriate; filament filiform; anthers often oblong. Carpels many, fused, superior, with unilocular, ellipsoid to subglobose ovary; ovules many on parietal placentae projecting into the ovary; style distinct, often short; stigma rays 5-6, radiating and forming a globular mass over the ovary. Capsule ovoid, oblong, clavate or cylindrical, 1-celled, dehiscing by short slits at the apex or sometimes splitting almost to the base of the fruit. Seeds many, small, rugose.[3] [more]
Mnemosilla
Mosenthinia
Neckeria
Odoptera
Omonoia
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Papaver
Papaver is a genus of poppies, belonging to the Poppy family (Papaveraceae). [more]
Phacocapnos
Pistolochia
Platycapnos
Platystemon
Platystemon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the poppy family containing the single species Platystemon californicus, which is known by the common name Creamcups. It is native to Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah and Baja California, and is found in open grasslands and sandy soils. It is also used as an ornamental plant for landscaping and revegetation of recently burned areas. [more]
Platystigma
Pseudofumaria
Pseudognaphalium
Annuals, biennials, or perennials (sometimes aromatic), (4-) 15-150(-200) cm (usually taprooted, sometimes fibrous-rooted). Stems 1+, usually erect, sometimes decumbent to procumbent (± woolly-tomentose, sometimes stipitate- or sessile-glandular). Leaves basal and cauline or mostly cauline; alternate; usually sessile; blades mostly narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, bases often clasping and/or decurrent, margins entire, faces bicolor or concolor, abaxial white to gray and tomentose to velutinous, adaxial usually greenish and glabrous or glabrescent, sometimes grayish and loosely arachnose (sometimes stipitate- or sessile-glandular). Heads disciform, usually in glomerules in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays, sometimes in terminal clusters. Involucres mostly campanulate to cylindric, (3-) 4-7 mm. Phyllaries in (2-) 3-7(-10) series, whitish, rosy, tawny, or brownish (opaque or hyaline, dull or shiny; stereomes usually green, usually sessile-glandular distally), unequal, usually chartaceous toward tips. Receptacles flat, smooth, epaleate. Peripheral (pistillate) florets (15-) 25-250+ (more numerous than bisexual) ; corollas yellowish. Inner (bisexual) florets (1-) 5-20(-40+) ; corollas yellowish (red-tipped in P. luteoalbum). Cypselae oblong-compressed or cylindric, faces usually smooth, sometimes papillate-roughened and/or with 4-6 longitudinal ridges, usually glabrous (papilliform hairs in P. luteoalbum) ; pappi readily falling, of 10-12 distinct (coherent basally in Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum and P. stramineum), barbellate bristles in 1 series. x = 7.[4] [more]
Pteridophyllum
Pteridophyllum racemosum is a of flowering plant endemic to Japan. [more]
Roborowskia
Roemeria
Herbs, annual, caulescent; sap yellow. Stems leafy. Leaves: basal usually few, rosulate, indistinctly petiolate; cauline usually few and remote, alternate, proximal indistinctly petiolate, distal sessile; blade 2-3× pinnately lobed. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, 1-flowered; bracts present. Flowers: sepals 2, distinct; petals 4; stamens many; pistil 2-4(-6) -carpellate; ovary 1-locular; style absent or obscure; stigmas 2-4(-6), radiate. Capsules slenderly cylindric or terete, 2-4(-6) -valved, dehiscing from apex almost to base; peduncle straight or often recurved. Seeds many, aril absent.[5] [more]
Romneya
The Matilija poppy or tree poppy (Romneya Harvey) is a poppy of Southern California and Northern Mexico, belonging to the poppy family (Papaveraceae). [more]
Rupicapnos
Sanguinaria
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada southward to Florida, United States, and west to Great Lakes and down the Mississippi embayment. It is the only species in the genus Sanguinaria, included in the family Papaveraceae, and most closely related to Eomecon of eastern Asia. [more]
Sarcocapnos
Stylomecon
Herbs, annual; sap yellow, clear. Stems simple or branching, leafy. Leaves alternate, usually petiolate; blade 1-2× pinnately deeply lobed. Inflorescences axillary, 1-flowered; peduncle slender; bud drooping. Flowers: sepals 2, distinct; petals caducous, 4, obcuneate; stamens many; pistil 4-11-carpellate; ovary turbinate, 1-locular; style persistent; stigma 4-11-lobed. Fruits capsular, obovoid-ellipsoid to turbinate, ribbed, dehiscing by flaps beneath apex. Seeds many, brown or black, reniform, reticulate-rugose, aril absent. x = 28.[6] [more]
Stylophorum
Stylophorum (Celandine-poppy) is a genus of three species of herbaceous perennial plants native to woodland in eastern North America and China. [more]
Trigonocapnos
More info about the Genus Trigonocapnos may be found here.
Bibliography
- Hannan, G. L. 1982. Correlation of morphological variation in Platystemon californicus (Papaveraceae) with flower color and geography. Syst. Bot. 7: 35-47.
- Nesom, G. L. 2004d. Pseudognaphalium canescens (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) and putative relatives in western North America. Sida 21: 781-790.
Footnotes
- Gary L. Hannan "Hesperomecon". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- Gary L. Hannan "Meconella". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- "Meconopsis". in Flora of Pakistan Page 22. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- Guy L. Nesom "Pseudognaphalium". in Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 60, 384, 387, 415, 418, 421, 427, 429. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- Robert W. Kiger "Roemeria". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- Curtis Clark "Stylomecon". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
Sources
- The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes material from Wikipedia retrieved Wednesday, April 25, 2012.
- The distribution map on the Distribution tab comes from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and is used with permission.
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- The technology underlying this page, including the controls behind Keep Exploring, is owned by the BayScience Foundation. All rights are reserved.