Family: Papaveraceae Juss.
Distribution: Central and Western Europe, Mediterranean, Ukraine, Southern Scandinavia.
Ecology: Grows as weed of warmer regions. Prefers low lime, sandy or sandy-loamy soils. Flowers from April to June.
Description: An annual or biennial herb. The stem is prostrate or ascending, single or ramified, 10–50 cm tall. The leaves are mono- or bipinnatifid, with aristate, acuminate tips, stiffly haired. The flowers are large, 25–70 mm in diameter, corolla red or purple-red, often with black spot at the base of petals, nodding before blooming. The fruit is a capsule, usually with solid hairs in upper part.
Endangering and Protection: The Prickly Poppy is an endangered species in some countries (CZ).
These images were taken in Slovakia, Sirnik (May 8, 2007).
