Roemeria argemone (L.) C.Morales, R.Mend. & Romero García
Prickly Poppy
The prickly poppy (long known as Papaver argemone) is a delicate cornfield annual and a long-established but now scarce plant of British arable land. Among our poppies it is unmistakable in fruit: it is the only one with a narrow, club-shaped seed capsule clothed in stiff bristles.
About
The prickly poppy (long known as Papaver argemone) is a delicate cornfield annual and a long-established but now scarce plant of British arable land. Among our poppies it is unmistakable in fruit: it is the only one with a narrow, club-shaped seed capsule clothed in stiff bristles. The flowers are a soft, pale scarlet with rather narrow petals that do not overlap, usually with a dark blotch at the base, carried on slender, bristly stems.
It grows as an annual of arable fields, favouring free-draining sandy or chalky soils, and is typically found in small numbers around field edges and unsprayed corners rather than in showy sheets. Like other cornfield flowers it depends on yearly soil disturbance to persist, and it has declined markedly with modern farming. Flowering from May to July, it is a worthwhile and distinctive addition to cornfield annual and arable-conservation mixes on light ground.
Also known as
long prickly-head poppy · pale rough-fruited poppy
Synonyms
Cerastites macrocephalus · Cerastites macrocephalus maritimus · Papaver argemone · Papaver argemone arvense · Papaver argemone glabratum · Papaver argemone glabrescens · Papaver argemone glabrum · Papaver argemone hemileiocarpum · Papaver argemone littoralis · Papaver argemone micranthum · Papaver argemone minus · Papaver argemone simplex
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.