Prickly Poppy

Argemone mexicana

COMMON NAMES

• Mexican Poppy
• Prickly Poppy
• Thorn Poppy
• Yellow Poppy
• Yellow Thistle

Prickly poppy - an erect annual herb reaching 3 feet and sometimes higher. The spiny-toothed, thistlelike leaves are stalkless and often blotched with white. Yellow or orange flowers of prickly poppy (June-September, or year-round in southern climates), about 2 - 2 1/2 inches across, are followed by inch-long prickly seedpods.

Anyone so foolhardy as to pick prickly poppy soon learns that its name is well earned: the leaves and seedpods are armored with needle-sharp spines. Although this arsenal does not contribute to the plant's popularity, prickly poppy does protect both humans and animals from the ill effects of the toxic substances it contains. If an animal, such as a goat, should persist in grazing on this punishing fare, not only will the beast suffer but so will those who drink its milk, because the poisons are passed along in the milk. In humans prickly poppy can cause dropsy, or edema (an abnormal retention of fluid in the body).

Despite its bad effects when taken internally, prickly poppy once had external applications. The Comanche Indians employed an extract of the seeds to treat sore eyes, and other folk healers later prescribed the juice as a remedy for warts and lesions.

The genus name Argemone, mentioned in the first-century A.D. writings of the Roman naturalist Pliny, is derived from the Greek word argemon, meaning loosely "cataract of the eye"-a reference to a poppy like flower that was used to clear vision in Pliny's day.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts, latex, seeds.

USES

The fresh latex of prickly poppy contains protein dissolving constituents, and is used to treat warts, cold sores, and blemishes on the lips. The whole plant acts as a mild painkiller. An infusion of the seeds -in small quantities -is used in Cuba as a sedative for children suffering from asthma. In greater quantities, the oil in the seeds is purgative. The flowers of prickly poppy are expectorant, and are good for treating coughs and other chest conditions.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Prickly poppy grows in tropical regions from the southern - most US to South America. Prickly poppy favors dry soil and is often found in tobacco fields.

CONSTITUENTS

Prickly poppy contains isoquinoline alkaloids similar to those in the opium poppy.

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