SPECIES DESCRIPTION
PAPAVER PURPUREOMARGINATUM
Family and Genus:- See- PAPAVERACEAE/Sect. RHOEADIUM
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms: None
Meaning:- Papaver (L) Poppy.
Purpureomarginatum (L) With a purple margin (the sepals).
General description:- Erect, ascending, or spreading, annual herbs.
Stems:-
1) 4-35 cm unbranched, branched above or branched from base, patently setose.
sometimes almost scapose.
Leaves:-
1) 9 x 0.5-2.5 cm, 2- pinnatipartite, segments antrorse.
a) lower, petiolate.
b) upper, sessile, with an mostly rounded base, often entire or with one or few
entire and strongly recurved lobes, moderately setose.
Flowers:-
1) Solitary or in mostly few-flowered inflorescences.
2) Pedicels, 4-14 cm, with appressed setae.
3) Buds, nodding; mature buds ovoid, 0.5-1.6 x 0.2-0.7 cm.
4) Sepals, usually with a narrow violet margin, indumentum. mostly sparse setose.
5) Petals, 4, 0.8-2 x 0.4-1.6 m, obovate, pale red without distinct basal spots.
6) Stamens,
a) filaments, 0.5-0.9 cm long; dark filiform.
b) anthers, often yellow.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 0.6-1.8 x 0.3-0.7 cm, narrowly obovoid to ellipsoid.
2) Stigmatic disc, with 4-7 rays, entire or shallowly lobed, with dark marks between
the rays.
3) Seeds, 0.5-0.7 mm, kidney-shaped (reniform).
Key features:-
1) Upper leaves, sessile with a mostly rounded base.
2) Sepals, mostly with narrow violet margin.
3) Anthers, often yellow.
4) Stigmatic disc, with dark marks between the rays.
Habitat:- Roadsides or in open vegetation on calcareous substrate, often in
somewhat humid habitats, 0-600(-1100) m.
Distribution:- Probably restricted to the Aegean area, SW Anatolia and Cyprus.
Sparsely scattered across Crete, not too common.
Flowering time:- Apr-May(-July).
Photo by:- Fotis Samaritakis
