Poppy / Amapola
Montserrat, Barcelona (Spain).
ENGLISH
The Corn Poppy, Field Poppy, Flanders Poppy, or Red Poppy is the wild poppy of agricultural cultivation—Papaver rhoeas. It is a variable annual plant. The four petals are vivid red, most commonly with a black spot at their base. In the northern hemisphere it generally flowers in late spring, but if the weather is warm enough other flowers frequently appear at the beginning of autumn. It has a variety of common names.
It is known to have been associated with agriculture in the Old World since early times. It has most of the characteristics of a successful weed of agriculture. These include an annual lifecycle that fits into that of most cereals, a tolerance of simple weed control methods, the ability to flower and seed itself before the crop is harvested. Like many such weeds, it also shows the tendency to become a crop in its own right; its seed is a moderately useful commodity, and its flower is edible.
Its origin is not known for certain. As with many such plants, the area of origin is often ascribed by Americans to Europe, and by northern Europeans to southern Europe. The European Garden Flora suggests that it is ‘Eurasia and North Africa’; in other words, the lands where agriculture has been practised since the earliest times.
The leaves are mildly poisonous to grazing animals. The seed is harmless and is used sometimes as a condiment. The commonly grown decorative Shirley Poppy is derived from forms of this plant. The commonly used parts of the corn poppy are the seeds (in baking), the fresh green parts as vegetable, and the red petals by making syrups and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks. Red poppy syrup is a traditional beverage of Mediterranean regions like Bozcaada.
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CASTELLANO
Papaver rhoeas, la amapola silvestre, especie del género Papaver, es una planta de ciclo anual que alcanza más de 5 dm de altura. De tallos erectos y poco ramificados con finos pelillos.
Las hojas, que nacen alternas a lo largo del tallo, sin peciolo, son pinadas y muy dentadas en los márgenes con una única nervadura central.
Las flores de color escarlata intenso, acampanadas y casi esféricas, poseen 4 finos pétalos y 2 sépalos vellosos. Los estambres, de color negro, forman un racimo anillado alrededor del gineceo, lo que le da el aspecto de botón negro. El fruto es una cápsula verde pálido de forma cónica con una especie de tapa en la parte superior (opérculo), conteniendo numerosas semillas que escapan a través de las grietas del opérculo. Florecen de principio a final de la primavera.
La amapola se ha asociado a la agricultura desde muy antiguo. Su ciclo de vida se adapta a la mayoría de los cultivos de cereales, floreciendo y granando antes de la recolección de las cosechas. Aunque se la considera una mala yerba es fácil de combatir con los habituales métodos de control de plagas.
Las hojas son levemente venenosas para los animales herbívoros. Sin embargo, las semillas son inofensivas y a menudo se utilizan como condimento y en bollería, las partes verdes frescas se consumen como verdura y los pétalos se usan para elaborar siropes y bebidas no alcohólicas. La savia, pétalos y cápsulas contienen rhoeadina, un alcaloide de efectos ligeramente sedantes, a diferencia de la variedad Papaver somniferum.
Poppy / Amapola
Montserrat, Barcelona (Spain).
ENGLISH
The Corn Poppy, Field Poppy, Flanders Poppy, or Red Poppy is the wild poppy of agricultural cultivation—Papaver rhoeas. It is a variable annual plant. The four petals are vivid red, most commonly with a black spot at their base. In the northern hemisphere it generally flowers in late spring, but if the weather is warm enough other flowers frequently appear at the beginning of autumn. It has a variety of common names.
It is known to have been associated with agriculture in the Old World since early times. It has most of the characteristics of a successful weed of agriculture. These include an annual lifecycle that fits into that of most cereals, a tolerance of simple weed control methods, the ability to flower and seed itself before the crop is harvested. Like many such weeds, it also shows the tendency to become a crop in its own right; its seed is a moderately useful commodity, and its flower is edible.
Its origin is not known for certain. As with many such plants, the area of origin is often ascribed by Americans to Europe, and by northern Europeans to southern Europe. The European Garden Flora suggests that it is ‘Eurasia and North Africa’; in other words, the lands where agriculture has been practised since the earliest times.
The leaves are mildly poisonous to grazing animals. The seed is harmless and is used sometimes as a condiment. The commonly grown decorative Shirley Poppy is derived from forms of this plant. The commonly used parts of the corn poppy are the seeds (in baking), the fresh green parts as vegetable, and the red petals by making syrups and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks. Red poppy syrup is a traditional beverage of Mediterranean regions like Bozcaada.
--------------------------
CASTELLANO
Papaver rhoeas, la amapola silvestre, especie del género Papaver, es una planta de ciclo anual que alcanza más de 5 dm de altura. De tallos erectos y poco ramificados con finos pelillos.
Las hojas, que nacen alternas a lo largo del tallo, sin peciolo, son pinadas y muy dentadas en los márgenes con una única nervadura central.
Las flores de color escarlata intenso, acampanadas y casi esféricas, poseen 4 finos pétalos y 2 sépalos vellosos. Los estambres, de color negro, forman un racimo anillado alrededor del gineceo, lo que le da el aspecto de botón negro. El fruto es una cápsula verde pálido de forma cónica con una especie de tapa en la parte superior (opérculo), conteniendo numerosas semillas que escapan a través de las grietas del opérculo. Florecen de principio a final de la primavera.
La amapola se ha asociado a la agricultura desde muy antiguo. Su ciclo de vida se adapta a la mayoría de los cultivos de cereales, floreciendo y granando antes de la recolección de las cosechas. Aunque se la considera una mala yerba es fácil de combatir con los habituales métodos de control de plagas.
Las hojas son levemente venenosas para los animales herbívoros. Sin embargo, las semillas son inofensivas y a menudo se utilizan como condimento y en bollería, las partes verdes frescas se consumen como verdura y los pétalos se usan para elaborar siropes y bebidas no alcohólicas. La savia, pétalos y cápsulas contienen rhoeadina, un alcaloide de efectos ligeramente sedantes, a diferencia de la variedad Papaver somniferum.