6/11/2016

MedicinalPlantsofIndia

OpiumPoppy

ntroduced

Photo:SobhapatiSamom

Commonname:OpiumPoppyBengali:PastoHindi:Aphim,Khashkhash
Kannada:afirm,biligasgase,gasagase,kasakaseMalayalam:afium,avin,karappu,kasakasa
Marathi:afu,aphu,khuskhus,postaSanskrit:aaphuka,ahifen,ahiphenaTamil:abini,gashagasha,
kasakasa,postakaTelugu:abhini,gasagasala,gasagasalachettuUrdu:Aphim,Khashkhash
Botanicalname: PapaversomniferumFamily:Papaveraceae(Poppyfamily)
Opiumpoppyistheplantfromwhichopiumandpoppyseedsareextracted.Itisanannualherb,12ft
tall (up to 1.5 m in cultivation). Taproot is erect, almost conical. Stems are erect, glaucous, hairless.
Alternately arranged leaves are ovate or oblong, 725 cm, both surfaces hairless, glaucous and rather
waxy,withveinsdistinct,slightlyraised,baseheartshaped,marginirregularlywavytoothed,tiplong
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MedicinalPlantsofIndia

pointed to blunt. Lower leaves are shortly stalked but upper ones are stalkless and stemclasping.
Flowersoccursingly,deeplycupshaped,512cmindiameter,bornonlongstalksupto25cm.Flower
budsarenoddingatfirst,erectwhenthefloweropensfully,ovaloblongorbroadlyovoid,1.53.513
cm.Sepalsare2,green,broadlyovate,marginmembranous.Petalsare4,white,pink,red,purple,or
various, often with a dark basal blotch, roundish, 47 311 cm, margin wavy or variously lobed.
Stamens are many, with white filaments 11.5 cm. Ovary is green, spherical, 12 cm in diameter,
cappedbystigmasunitedintocompressedstarlikedisk.Capsulearebrownwhenmature,sphericalor
oblongelliptic,4945cm.Seedsaremany,blackordeepgray.Poppyseedsarecommonlyusedin
both North and South Indian Cusine. They are called "khuskhus" in Hindi, "gasagasalu" in Telugu,
"gasagasa"inKannada,and"postodana"inBengali.Poppyseedscanbedryroastedandgroundtobe
usedinwetcurry(currypaste)ordrycurry.
Medicinaluses: Poppyisoneofthemostimportantmedicinalplants.Traditionally,thedryopium
wasconsideredanastringent,antispasmodic,aphrodisiac,diaphoretic,expectorant,hypnotic,narcotic,
andsedative.Poppyhasbeenusedagainsttoothachesandcoughs.Theabilityofopiumfrompoppyto
serve as an analgesic is well known. Opium and derivatives of opium are used in the pharmaceutical
industryasnarcoticanalgesics,hypnotics,andsedatives.Opiumandthedrugsderivedfromopiumare
addictiveandcanhavetoxicologicaleffects.

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