| Classification |
| Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order Type: Basal Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Papaveraceae + Fumariaceae
Family Common Name: Poppy Family
Genera: Corydalis, Dicentra, Epimedium, Eschscholzia, Macleaya,
Papaver, Sanguinaria |
Defining Features: The family
has species that make up a distinctive part of the Northeastern deciduous
forest spring flora. The flowers are usually distinctive and complex, resulting
in many descriptive common names such as "Bleeding Heart", "Dutchman's
Breeches" and "Squirrel Corn". Plants in this family produce
white-like or colored latex.
Defining Morphology: Floral
Features: Flowers are strongly zygomorphic to actinomorphic and bisexual.
Inflorescence is as a cyme, raceme, panicles, and umbels or as a solitary
flower. Ovaries are superior with parietal placentation. Fruit and Seed
Features: Dicotyledon. Fruit a capsule. Seeds small with endosperm present.
Some seeds have oily endosperm. Vegetative Features: Habit as annual or
perennial herbs, soft-wooded shrubs or climbers. Leaves simple, compound
and alternate or basal. Leaves are often soft and bristly-hairy. Stipules
are lacking.
Distribution: Widespread in
north temperate regions with a few in South Africa and eastern Australia.
Economic Use: The source of
opium used medicinally and illegally in the production of heroin as well
as grown as a cultivated garden ornamental. The latex of some species is
used in the treatment of warts, for eye disorders and as a dye source for
coloring feathers.
Number of Genera Globally:
40
Number of Species Globally: 770
