Long-headed poppy

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• blind eyes
• doubtful poppy
• long smooth-fruited poppy
• long-headed poppy
• long-pod poppy
• pale red poppy
• Long Smooth-headed Poppy
• long-head poppy
• Long Headed Poppy

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Papaver rhoeas var. dubium
• Papaver rhoeas subsp. dubium

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Ranunculales. Finally, it is a member of the Papaveraceae family, falling under the genus Papaver.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range across the northern reaches of the European continent. In Northern Europe, it can be found growing within the borders of Denmark. Its presence also extends further north into the territories of Finland and Norway. Additionally, the species is widely distributed across the British Isles, specifically in Great Britain and Ireland. These locations collectively define the primary northern habitats for Papaver dubium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Papaver dubium is characterized by its ability to thrive across a wide altitudinal gradient, spanning from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1500 m AMSL. This species exhibits significant ecological plasticity, colonizing a variety of disturbed and open environments. It is commonly found in anthropogenic landscapes such as crop fields and old fields, as well as along roadsides where soil disturbance is frequent. Additionally, its habitat extends to more rugged terrain, including mountains and stony places, where it can adapt to varied substrates and varying degrees of exposure.

Elevational range max:

1500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, mountains, old fields, roadsides, stony places

Life history

The life history of Papaver dubium is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, it survives the unfavorable seasons primarily in the form of seeds, avoiding harsh environmental conditions by remaining dormant until favorable conditions trigger regrowth. This plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its vegetative structures as it completes its seasonal cycle. Structurally, its classification as a therophyte defines its growth habit, ensuring that it allocates its resources toward rapid maturation and prolific seed dispersal to ensure the survival of the next generation.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Papaver dubium is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This species is a self-supporting plant that does not exhibit climbing or parasitic behaviors, functioning as an independent organism. It is a strictly terrestrial plant, lacking any aquatic or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variability in height, with measurements ranging from a minimum of 0.2 m to a maximum of 1 m, maintaining a mean plant height of approximately 0.362 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

0.362 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Papaver dubium is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating a standard carbon fixation process typical of many temperate herbaceous plants. The plant is non-carnivorous and does not possess the capability to act as a nitrogen fixer. Its leaf morphology plays a significant role in its resource acquisition, featuring elliptic leaf forms with a mean surface area of 46.27 cm². The dimensions of these leaves vary considerably, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 15 cm, while leaf widths fluctuate between 0.2 cm and a maximum of 5 cm, resulting in a mean width of 4.5 cm. Furthermore, the plant exhibits a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 239.86 cm²/g, reflecting its structural investment in leaf tissue relative to its mass.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

15 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf size mean:

46.27 cm²

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

4.5 cm

Leaf width min:

0.2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

239.86 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Papaver dubium is characterized by a sexual process involving bisexual flowers, with asexual reproduction being entirely absent. The flowering period typically begins in May and extends through August. These flowers, which exhibit a black coloration, vary in width from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 6 cm. Pollination is a biotic process driven by insects, with a specific emphasis on bees. Interestingly, self-fertilization is noted as absent, suggesting a reliance on cross-pollination. Following fertilization, the plant produces dry, dehiscence-type fruit in the form of capsules. These capsules generally measure around 2 cm in length (ranging from 0.9 cm to 2 cm) and approximately 0.8 cm in width (ranging from 0.4 cm to 0.9 cm). Each fruit is highly prolific, containing more than 1000 seeds. The seeds are quite small, with a mean length of 0.7 mm, a mean volume of 0.099 mm³, and a mean mass of approximately 0.0001172534 g (ranging from 0.00009 g to 0.00014 g). Dispersal of these seeds is primarily an anemochorous process (wind-dispersed), though it is also categorized as unspecialized.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Flower colour :

black

Flower width max:

6 cm

Flower width min:

2 cm

Flowering time :

May

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

2 cm

Fruit length min:

0.9 cm

Fruit type :

capsule

Fruit width max:

0.9 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.8 cm

Fruit width min:

0.4 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

0.7 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00014 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0001172534 g

Seed mass min:

9e-05 g

Seed volume max:

0.099 mm³

Seeds_per_fruit :

>1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Papaver dubium has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include THEBAINE, codeine, morphine.

THEBAINE

1. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

codeine

1. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

morphine

1. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences