Horned poppy (Glaucium flavum) is a species of plant belonging to the poppy family (Papaveraceae). It grows wild in North Africa, Western Asia and much of Europe, mainly by the sea. Currently, it is cultivated in herbal plantations and as an ornamental plant.
Horned poppy is a plant with a height of 30-70 cm although sometimes it can reach a height of 100 cm. The stem and leaves are grey-green. The leaves are pinnate, strongly wrinkled, strongly hairy and gathered in a ground-level leaf rosette.
The stem of the herb is naked. Flowers of horned poppy are yellow or orange with a diameter of up to 8 cm with a 2-fold pistil with a 2-lobed stigma. The fruit is an elongated, two-chamber capsule with a longitudinal partition. It is 15-30 cm long.
Horned poppy is used for the industrial production of alkaloids, mainly glaucine. It has antitussive and antispasmodic effects - mainly on the smooth muscles of the bronchi.
Horned poppy also has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, sedative and blood pressure lowering effects. It is used in inflammations of the upper respiratory tract, as an antitussive.
Horned poppy can be used even for a longer period of time, because it does not cause addiction, especially in children and the elderly. Edible oil can be pressed from the seeds of the horned poppy.
Seeds.
Horned poppy is a plant similar in appearance to the common red poppy, whose beneficial properties have already been appreciated by traditional folk medicine.
Thanks to the content of the alkaloid, glaucine, horned poppy was used to treat persistent cough, but it was also an excellent sedative and antispasmodic.
Horned poppy also has anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, sedative and lowers blood pressure. Horned poppy is used in inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, as an antitussive drug.
Horned poppy is widely used in natural medicine:
Horned poppy contains glaucine, which is used in the production of creams. A (patented) method for glaucine secretion has been developed and horned poppy is cultivated to obtain this substance.
The importance of horned poppy for body care has been discovered relatively recently.
Extracts from this herb, rich primarily in beneficial glaucine, effectively affect fat cells, breaking them down and transforming them back into stem cells, which lose their ability to store excess fat.
This action perfectly stimulates the process of body shaping and combating cellulite. It has a great slimming effect, while giving the skin firmness, smoothness and optimal structure.
The use of preparations containing horned poppy or its extract, especially rich in the alkaloid glaucine, perfectly complements the slimming treatment, while profiling the figure and providing the skin with an extremely attractive and healthy appearance and natural vitality.
Horned poppy thrives in well-drained soil and requires full sun to thrive. It is important to limit watering, allowing the soil to dry out between sessions, as horned poppy is drought tolerant and excess moisture can lead to problems such as root rot.
No special fertilization is necessary, which highlights the low maintenance of horned poppy.
Horned poppy thrives in coastal environments, where it has adapted to the sandy soils and salty conditions of its native coastal habitat. It prefers dry conditions and is drought tolerant, requiring watering every 1-2 weeks.
As a garden plant often found along shorelines, horned poppy likes well-drained soil to prevent root rot during the wet season.
Horned poppy grows best in sunny locations. In conditions with less sunlight, horned poppy may show reduced vitality and produce fewer flowers.
Horned poppy grows well in coastal habitats with sandy or chalky soils rich in calcium carbonate and a pH of 6.5-8 (neutral to alkaline).
Horned poppy is cultivated as an ornamental plant. Horned poppy is quite frost-resistant. It is propagated by seeds sown directly into the soil in autumn or spring.
Horned poppy contains:
In addition, horned poppy contains isoquinoline alkaloids (glaucine 2%) and benzophenanthridine alkaloids (chelidonine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, protopine), glycoproteins and bitter substances (glaucopicrine).
Thanks to this, horned poppy can help the body fight diseases and prevent the development of various diseases.
Infusion, dry extract and tincture of the herb inhibit the cough center, dilate the bronchi and bronchioles, and have a mild expectorant effect.
Glaucine was introduced into medicine in the form of hydrobromide and hydrochloride (e.g. in Bulgaria). It does not reduce the activity of the respiratory center. It does not cause addiction.
The recommended dose is 40 mg 3 times a day; the maximum daily dose is 200 mg. Glaucine preparations should not be given to children under 4 years of age.
The dose for children is 10 mg 3 times a day. Preparations from the glaucine and glaucine itself are used in the treatment of upper respiratory tract inflammations, chronic bronchitis, influenza, whooping cough, pneumonia and cough in the course of tuberculosis.
Extracts from the glaucine have an antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles and a calming effect. In folk medicine, the horned poppy's glaucine is used as an anti-diabetic agent.
Water and alcoholic extracts of the herb stop the attack of colic. They have a choleretic effect. They are useful in treating painful diarrhea and painful menstruation.
Herbs recommended for dry cough include horned poppy, a member of the poppy family. The herb owes its properties to glaucine, which inhibits the activity of the cough center in the brain.
Ground or cut herbs are used to prepare infusions for drinking. For persistent coughs, it is usually recommended to drink three glasses of infusion a day.