FoI
Iranian Poppy
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Iranian Poppy
ntroduced Photo: Gurcharan Singh
Common name: Iranian Poppy, great scarlet poppy
Botanical name: Papaver bracteatum    Family: Papaveraceae (Poppy family)
Synonyms: Calomecon bracteatum

Iranian poppy is a very imposing and sturdy perennial poppy with large deep red flowers up to 20 cm across on stiff stalks up to 4 feet tall with a prominent black spot near the base of the petals. It is related to the commonly cultivated oriental poppy, Papaver orientale. Leaves are up to 40 cm long, setose on both surfaces, twice cut into bristle-tipped lobes, Lower leaves are long-stalked, upper stalkless. Stigmatic disc is nearly flat to slightly convex, rays 11-16. Capsule is nearly spherical, 3-5-4 cm long. Papaver bracteatum does not contain morphine or codeine and no other narcotic alkaloids in significant amounts. Iranian Poppy is native to Iran, commonly cultivated in gardens in Kashmir.

Identification credit: Gurcharan Singh
Photographed in Harwan, Kashmir.
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