The Opium Poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the type of poppy from which opium and all refined opiates such as heroin are extracted, as well as an important food item.
There are many varieties of this poppy family. Colors of the flower vary widely, as do other physical characteristics (number and shape of petals, number of pods, production of morphine, etc.).
The name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to its narcotic properties.
The seeds of the poppy are widely used as the popular "poppy-seed" found in and on many food items such as bagels, muffins and cakes. The seeds can be pressed to form poppy seed oil. Opium Poppy seeds contain negligible amounts of narcotics.
History
The history of the Opium Poppy predates written history. The Opium Poppy probably originated in the Mediterranean area. Images of Opium Poppies have been found in ancient Sumerian artifacts (ca. 4000 b.c.). The Opium Poppy was also known to the ancient Greeks, from whom it gained its modern name of Opium.
Many modern writers, particularly in the 19th century, have written on the Opium Poppy and its effects, notably L. Frank Baum with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Thomas de Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater.
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