Opium poppy
Papaver somniferumPapaveraceae // latex · capsules · seeds
Also known as: poppy, opium poppy
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
latex, capsules, seeds
Known constituents
morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine; broad class: mu-opioid receptor agonists and related alkaloids.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
Culinary seeds differ legally and chemically from opium-bearing plant material.
MODERATE · Morphometrics of waterlogged archaeological seeds give new insights into the domestication and spread of Papaver somniferum L. in Western Europe
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- Critical
Safety severity is CRITICAL: respiratory depression, dependence, overdose and death
Intrinsic toxicity · HIGH · Drugs of Abuse: A DEA Resource Guide, 2024 Edition
Dogs
- High risk
Poppy (Papaver spp.) is toxic to dogs; ingestion of any plant part may cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system effects, including inappetence, sedation, ataxia, and coma with very large ingestions.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Any plant part; whole plant · MODERATE · poison_control_database · Poppy Is Toxic To Dogs
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is CRITICAL: respiratory depression, dependence, overdose and death
HIGH · Drugs of Abuse: A DEA Resource Guide, 2024 Edition
Poppy (Papaver spp.) is toxic to dogs; ingestion of any plant part may cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system effects, including inappetence, sedation, ataxia, and coma with very large ingestions.
MODERATE · poison_control_database · Poppy Is Toxic To Dogs
The page concerns Papaver spp. generally and does not specifically confirm Papaver somniferum; the canonical mapping is therefore approximate. Cat-specific evidence is not provided.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- whole herbHigh risk
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF lists Papaver album Mill. as a taxonomic synonym of Papaver somniferum.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
poppy, opium poppy
Traditions
Ancient Mediterranean, Near Eastern and European contexts
Mediterranean, Europe and western Asia // Neolithic archaeobotany onward; interpretations of ritual use vary // historical evidence
Ethnobotanical
Opium poppy is documented in Ancient Mediterranean, Near Eastern and European contexts in Mediterranean, Europe and western Asia for medicine, sleep/death symbolism, funerary and ritual contexts.
HIGH · Morphometrics of waterlogged archaeological seeds give new insights into the domestication and spread of Papaver somniferum L. in Western Europe
Ritual
Documented functions include healing, funerary, symbolic; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
HIGH · Morphometrics of waterlogged archaeological seeds give new insights into the domestication and spread of Papaver somniferum L. in Western Europe
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Opium, poppy straw and many alkaloids are federally controlled; Schedule II provisions are central, with limited seed exceptions.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
peer-reviewed article
government/regulatory source
- Poppy Is Toxic To Dogs2 claims
poison_control_database
- 21 CFR 1308.11 — Schedule I1 claim
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database