| I have done a little investigating since this story broke - and I have a large poppy patch at home. First I think that you would have to be doing something suspicious, not just growing a few plants, to get the police at your house. Here's what I found -
Two Poppy varieties have been found to carry morphine:
Papaver somniferum & Papaver setigerum
Other than the names, no where is there and exact description of the plants - Variation in the flower
The flower may be single or double, with considerable variation of shape, arrangement and colour of petals (white, pink, red, purple, crimson or variegated). Variation in the seed
Here again contradictory assertions and classifications, attributing particular effects on the plant’s alkaloid content to certain colours of seed, are made. The fact is that there are white, yellow, coffee-coloured, black, grey, blue, etc., seeds, and there appears to be virtually no relationship between the colour of the flower and that of the seed. Variation in the capsule
The capsules may be of different shapes (elongated, globular, oblate, etc.) and no relationship can be detected between the shape and the alkaloid content (on the other hand, some shapes are easier than others to incise for the collection of the latex). The capsules may also be closed or open, and there may be two, three or more capsules on each plant. Other variations
Lastly, the poppy may vary as to height (30 to 150 centimeters or more), stem appearance (glabrous or hairy), and leaf, which may be of many different shapes. pretty vague - to say the least! Mary Beth
Amana, IA |
