How Many Varities Of Poppies Are There?

There are at least two hundred different types of known varieties of the poppy species, each is grouped into different scientific classifications. There is the kingdom, which is Plantae, division, which is the Magnoliophyta, class is the Magnoliopsida, the order is the Ranunculales, the family is the Papaveraceae, the genus is Papaver, and the species is the P. somniferum.

These flowers vary in their sizes of flowers, their heights and color of blooms from the Himalayan known as the blue poppy, or the Californian that is known for its red and orange flowers. The flowers on these different species can be seen in blue, white, yellow, orange, red and even a deep purple that can appear a black color.

Some of the other names are the Field Poppy, the Corn poppy, the Shirley poppy, the Long Headed Poppy, and hundreds of other names for these flowers. That can be seen in gardens around the world with their four to six petals that begin to bloom in the late winter and early spring.

For all of the different verities of poppies they have been a plant that has had a long history, not only for the opium, but also for their seeds and oil. The medicinal uses, along with the seeds and oil is what made these flowers so popular in ancient times and in the Victorian era in Europe and America, as well as in Asia.