Phytography: Papaver somniferum

Order: Ranunculales

Family: Papaveraceae

Family characteristics: (mostly) 4 petals and 2 sepals, superior ovary

Nomenclature: Papaver is the ancient latin name for this plant, and somniferum means "to bring sleep."

Chemistry: Narcotic alkaloids such as morphine, thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine [2]

Some ancient history:

3400 BCE		Opium poppy cultivated in lower Mesopotamia...called Hul Gil, or "joy plant" by the Sumerians.
1300 BCE		Egyptians cultivate opium poppies during the reign of Thutmose IV, Akhenaton and King Tutankhamen. They reportedly trade the item across the Mediterranean into Greece and Europe.
1100 BCE		On the island of Cyprus, the "Peoples of the Sea" craft surgical-quality culling knives to harvest opium, which they would cultivate, trade and smoke before the fall of Troy.
330 BCE		Alexander the Great introduces opium to the people of Persia and India.
300 BCE		Opium used by Arabs, Greeks, and Romans as a sedative and soporific.
400		Opium thebaicum, from the Egytpian fields at Thebes, is first introduced to China by Arab traders. [1]

Notes:
-In Greek Mythology, the poppy was associated with Demeter, goddess of fertility and agriculture. People believed they would get a bountiful crop if poppies grew in their field, hence the name 'corn poppy'. In this case, the name 'corn' was derived from 'korn', the Greek word for 'grain'. [2]

Photos:

Blossom and developing seed pods