Papaver rhoeas, with common names including common poppy, corn poppy, corn rose, field poppy, Flanders poppy, red poppy, and Odai, is an annual herbaceous species of flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It is native to north Africa and temperate Eurasia and is introduced into temperate areas on all other continents except Antarctica.

It is regarded as an agricultural weed (hence the common names including "corn" and "field"). As the plant thrives in areas of disturbed soil, it was often abundant in agricultural fields before the advent of herbicides. Flushes of poppies may still appear in fields where herbicides are not used, as well as those in fallow. The corn poppy and its cultivars such as the Shirley poppy are widely grown in gardens, and are frequently found in packets of seed labelled "wildflower mixes". Since World War I, it has been used in the Commonwealth as a symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers because it commonly grew in fields disturbed by war.

Description Papaver rhoeas is a variable, erect annual, forming a long-lived soil seed bank that can germinate when the soil is disturbed. In the Northern Hemisphere it generally flowers in late spring (between May and October in the UK) but if the weather is warm enough other flowers frequently appear at the beginning of autumn. It grows up to about in height. The stems hold single flowers, which are large and showy, across, with four petals that are vivid red, most commonly with a black spot at their base. The petals slightly overlap each other. The plant can produce up to 400 flowers in a warm season, that last only one day. The flower stem is usually covered with coarse hairs that are held at right angles to the surface, helping to distinguish it from P. dubium in which the hairs are more usually appressed (i.e. held close to the stem). The capsules are hairless, obovoid (egg-shaped), less than twice as tall as they are wide, with a stigma at least as wide as the capsule. Like many other species of Papaver, the plant exudes white to yellowish latex when the tissues are broken.

Not all corn poppies that are available commercially have red flowers. Selective breeding has resulted in cultivars in yellow, orange, pink, and white. The Shirley poppy is a well-known cultivar. A very pale speckled variety, derived from the Shirley, is also available.

A nearly black-flowering hybrid, known as 'Evelina', was bred in Italy in the late 1990s, with P. dubium, but does not appear to be available commercially.

Phytochemistry Papaver rhoeas contains the alkaloid called rhoeadine, which is a mild sedative. Rhoeadic acid, papaveric acid and rhoeagenine are also found in this plant.

Taxonomy It was formally described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in his seminal publication Species Plantarum in 1753. Papaver is the Latin word for poppy and rhoeas means the corn poppy in Greek. It is classified within the genus Papaver as part of the family Papaveraceae and has two subspecies and one variety that are listed as accepted by Plants of the World Online.

Papaver rhoeas var. himerenseThis variety was described by Francesco Maria Raimondo and Vivienne Spadaro in 2007. It is endemic to the island of Sicily. Papaver rhoeas subsp. polytrichumThis subspecies was described as a species named Papaver polytrichum by Pierre Edmond Boissier and Theodor Kotschy in 1856. It was reclassified as a subspecies of Papaver rhoeas by Joseph Thiébaut in 1936. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean. Papaver rhoeas subsp. rhoeasThe autonymic subspecies is native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia and has been introduced to many other parts of the world.

Papaver rhoeas has synonyms of the species or one of its two subspecies.

Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Papaver aegadicum 1906 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver agrivagum 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver ameristophyllum 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver anisotrichum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver arvaticum 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver arvense 1796 species subsp. rhoeas = het., nom. illeg. Papaver atropurpureum 1782 species subsp. rhoeas = het., opus utique oppr. Papaver balanocarpum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver caespitosum 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver caudatifolium 1870 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver cereale 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver chanceliae 1914 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver chelidonioides 1920 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver cinerascens 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver commixtum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver commutatum subsp. euxinum 1988 subspecies subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver cruciatum 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver dodonei 1870 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver dubium var. stipitatum 1985 variety subsp. rhoeas = het., without exact basionym page. Papaver erraticum 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het., nom. illeg. Papaver erraticum 1821 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver erucifolium 1892 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver feddeanum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver fuchsii 1870 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver gabrielianae 2007 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver graecum 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het., not validly publ. Papaver guerlekense 1886 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver hookeri 1883 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver humifusum 1905 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver inornatum 1854 species subsp. polytrichum = het. Papaver insignitum 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver integrifolium 1814 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver interjectum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver intermedium 1827 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver montenegrinum 1926 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver omphalodeum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver osswaldii 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver paucisetum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver polytrichum 1856 species subsp. polytrichum ≡ hom. Papaver propinquum 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver pseudohaussknechtii 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rapiferum 1905 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. agrivagum 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. agrivagum 1890 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. albiflorum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. albomarginatum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. alleizettei 1923 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. arvaticum 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. bipinnatifidum 1838 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas subsp. caudatifolium 1928 subspecies subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas proles caudatifolium 1893 proles subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. chanceliae 1921 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. chinense 1839 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. conicum 1873 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. cornuti 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. cruciatum 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. cruciatum 2018 form subsp. rhoeas = het., contrary to Art. 41.8.(a) ICN (2012) Papaver rhoeas f. dentatopinnatifidum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. dentatopinnatifidum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. erraticum 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. erucifolium 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. erythrotrichum 1909 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. erythrotrichum 2018 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. giganteum 1879 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. glabellum 1839 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. glabrescens 1906 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. globosum 1831 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. hispidissimum 1828 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. hoffmanianum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. hoffmanianum 2018 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. hookeri 1909 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas subsp. humile 1914 subspecies subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. immaculatum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas subsp. insignitum 1928 subspecies subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas proles insignitum 1893 proles subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. integrifolium 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas subsp. intermedium 1887 subspecies subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas proles intermedium 1893 proles subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. laciniatum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. leucanthum 1909 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. lyratum 1879 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. montenegrinum 1905 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. multifidum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas subsp. normale 1887 subspecies subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. oblongatum 1867 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. ochroleucum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. ovale 1831 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. pallidum 1848 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. polytrichum 1887 form subsp. polytrichum ≡ hom. Papaver rhoeas var. roseum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. roubiaei 1834 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas proles roubiei 1893 proles subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. rubromarginatum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. segetale 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. serratifolium 1893 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. subbipinnatifidum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. subbipinnatifidum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. subintegrum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het., nom. illeg. Papaver rhoeas var. submamillatum 1973 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. tenuifolium 1824 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. trichocarpum 1914 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. trifidum 1903 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas f. trifidum 1887 form subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. umbilicatosubstipitatum 1909 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. uniflorum 1887 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. urophyllum 1964 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. verum 1829 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. vestitum 1848 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. violaceum 1879 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rhoeas var. vulgare 1827 variety P. rhoeas ≡ hom., not validly publ. Papaver rhopalothece 1886 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver robertianella 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver roubiaei 1814 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rumelicum 1890 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver rusticum 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver segetale 1861 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver segetale 1829 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver spurium 1911 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver stipitatum 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het., nom. illeg. Papaver × strigosum var. urophyllum 1909 variety subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver subumbilicatum 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver tenuissimum 1905 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver thaumasiosepalum 1909 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver tumidulum 1953 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver umbrosum 1876 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Papaver uniflorum 1829 species subsp. rhoeas = het. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym

Natural history