Family: Papaveraceae Juss.
Distribution: All Europe (excluding the northernmost areas), Asia Minor, Northern Africa, naturalized in Northern America, Australia and New Zealand.
Ecology: Grows as weed in fields and gardens, on rubble and wasteland, from lowlands to foothills. Flowers from May to August.
Description: An annual herb with an erect, simple or little branched stems, 20–90 cm high, leaves pinnate, segments deeply lobed and toothed, lower ones petiolate, upper sessile. Flowers on long bristly stalks, corolla bright red, sometimes with black dot. The fruit is an ovoid hairless capsule. All green parts of plant exude latex when cut.
Use: The Common Poppy is slightly poisonous, the red petals have sedative and hypnotic properties.
These images were taken in Czechia, Brno-Bystrc (July 27, 2005) and field near Čejkovické Špidláky (July 11, 2004).
