Plants Belonging To Papaveraceae

Worldwide there are 200 species of the poppy family Many species in this family are used in herbal medicine. They have alternate leaves and often have a milky sap in the stems. The sap of Papaver somniferum is best known as being the source of opium and morphine. In comparison California poppies and the common red field poppies are very mild sedatives. Poppies are quite abundant in the Southwestern states. Plants in the FUMARIACEAE are often combined with the Poppy family. ^{Elpel, Thomas J.}