Skip to main content
Home

User account menu

  • Home
  • Blogs
  • News
  • Project Members
  • Resources
    • General project outputs
    • Outreach materials
    • Biodiversity recording on Cyprus
    • Wetland ecology and monitoring
    • CyDAS – Database of Alien Species
    • PoMS-Ký – Pollinator monitoring
    • Mini PoMS-Ký
    • Explore all records
    • Invasive species and biosecurity
  • Contact us
  • Log in
  • Explore Akrotiri

Papaver somniferum

Linnaeus
Tracheophyta » Ranunculales » Papaveraceae » Papaver somniferum
Common name (English)
Opium poppy
Common name (Greek)
χασχάσιη, χασκάσιη
Ηabitat
I1 Arable
E2 Mesic grasslands
F7 Spiny Mediterranean
X10 Mixed landscapes
Global distribution

Native area unknown, Austria (I), England (I), Czech Republic (I), Slovakia (I), Germany (I), Ireland (I), Switzerland (I), Netherlands (I), Hungary (I), Norway (I), Poland (I), Romania (I), Sweden (I), Estonia (I), Latvia (I), Lithuania (I), E-European Russia (I), Belarus (I), Ukraine (I), Portugal (I), Spain (I), Gibraltar (I), Baleares (I), France (I), Malta (I), Italy (I), Serbia & Kosovo (I), Slovenia (I), Croatia (I), Montenegro (I), Macedonia (I), Bulgaria (I), Greece (I), Crete (I), East Aegaean Isl. (I), European Turkey (I), Crimea (I), Anatolia (I), Lebanon (I), Syria (I), Libya (I), Morocco (I), Algeria (I), Tunisia (I), Northern Caucasus (I), Georgia [Caucasus] (I), Siberia (I), Russian Far East (I), Tajikistan (I), Afghanistan (I), Japan (I), Ryukyu Isl. (I), China (I), Kazakhstan (I), Korea (I), Northern Caucasus (I), Armenia (I), Azerbaijan (I), Uzbekistan (I), Georgia [Caucasus] (I), Australia (I) (Western Australia (I), Queensland (I), New South Wales (I), Victoria (I), Tasmania (I)), Saudi Arabia (I), N-Yemen (I), ?Kuwait (I), Taiwan (I), Java, trop. Africa (I), Peru (I), Ecuador (I), Lord Howe Isl. (I), Norfolk Isl. (I), Juan Fdz. Isl. (I), Argentina (I), Chile (I), Colombia (I), Uruguay (I), Mexico (I), Venezuela (I), Azores (I) (Santa Maria Isl. (I), Terceira (I), Sao Jorge (I), Faial (I), Corvo Isl. (I)), Madeira (I) (Madeira Isl. (I), Ilhas Desertas (I), Porto Santo Isl. (I)), Canary Isl. (I) (Lanzarote (I), Fuerteventura (I), Gran Canaria (I), Tenerife (I), La Gomera (I), Hierro (I), La Palma Isl. (I)), Myanmar [Burma] (I), Bhutan (I), Sikkim (I), India (widespread (I)), Laos (I), Vietnam (I), Sikkim (I), Nepal (I), Pakistan (I), USA (I) (Alabama (I), Arizona (I), California (I), Connecticut (I), Delaware (I), Florida (I), Illinois (I), Kentucky (I), Louisiana (I), Massachusetts (I), Maryland (I), Maine (I), Michigan (I), Minnesota (I), Missouri (I), Montana (I), North Carolina (I), North Dakota (I), New Hampshire (I), New Jersey (I), New Mexico (I), New York (I), Ohio (I), Oklahoma (I), Oregon (I), Pennsylvania (I), Rhode Island (I), Tennessee (I), Texas (I), Utah (I), Virginia (I), Vermont (I), Washington State (I), Wisconsin (I), Wyoming (I)), Canada (Alberta (I), British Columbia (I), Manitoba (I), New Brunswick (I), Newfoundland (I), Nova Scotia (I), Ontario (I), Quebec (I), Saskatchewan (I)), Greenland (I), Angola (I) 163878 0

Hold Ctrl whilst dragging to view details of selected occurrences.

Habitat detail

Based on Georgiades (1995).

Establishment status
Not Established
Establishment status detail

Alien: Casual. The related P. setigerum (now treated as a subspecies of P. somniferum) is listed, as a native in vineyards and stony hillsides, usually at high altitudes (1000'-4000') and noted for Division 3 west of Stavrovouni.

Impacts
Positive

Traditionally used ass a painkiller and sedative (Georgiades 1995).

Pathway
2 ESCAPE FROM CONFINEMENT - Agriculture – Ag
3 TRANSPORT CONTAMINANT - Contaminant on animals (except parasites) – Con Anim
Pathway detail

Spread as a relict of old cultivation as well as through migrating birds that eat its seeds or whole capsules (Georgiades 1995).

References

Georgiades C (1995) Η επιγενής χλωρίδα της Κύπρου. Ταξινομική, χλωριδικά, φυτογεωγραφική, οικοφυσιολογική μελέτη. [The adventive flora of Cyprus, taxonomic, floristic, phytogeographic, ecophysiological study]. Ph.D. Thesis, Athens University.

Hadjikyriakou G (2005) Contribution to the study of the flora of Cyprus 3 [Συμβολή στη μελέτη της χλωρίδας της Κύπρου 3]. Dasoponos 24: 7-10.

"UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology"
Joint Service Health Unit
University of Cyprus - Department of Biological Sciences
Darwin Initiative
Akrotiri Environment

Footer menu

  • Privacy Notice
  • Terms and conditions of use
Copyright © 2025 RIS-ky. Website designed and developed by BRC