Poppy in Herbalist: Property of the Poppy

Scientific name

Papaver somniferum

Family

Papaveraceae

Origin

Asia Minor

Parts Used

Drug given by the latex (opium) extracted by incision of the capsule of the Poppy

Chemical constituents

• Alkaloids: morphine, codeine, papaverine, noscapine, thebaine, narcotine;
• Resins;
• Mucilage.

Poppy in Herbalist: Property of the Poppy

The alkaloids present in the poppy are used in medicine as cough suppressants and for pain relieving purposes, because they are able to act at the level of pain receptors. From the latex the alkaloids extracted, used in medicine, are morphine as a powerful pain reliever (used as a drug of choice also in the palliative treatment of terminal illnesses) and codeine (present in many pharmaceutical formulations against cough).