Practical
Plants

Argemone albiflora

White Prickly Poppy

an annual member of the Argemone genus in the family Papaveraceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
1.5 m
Spread
0.45 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All parts of the plant, including the seed, contain toxic alkaloids[3].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A tea made from the leaves is demulcent, emetic and purgative[3]. Caution is advised, the seed oil can cause glaucoma and oedema[3]. An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of jaundice, skin ailments, colds, colic and wounds[3].

Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Purgative
Product or use
Skin

Environment

Range
Southern N. America - Connecticut to Florida and west to Texas and Illinois.
Habitat
Waste places[3]. Waste places, roadsides, fields, beaches, dunes and coastal plains from sea level to 300 metres[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow April in situ[2]. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 15°c[1].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in ordinary light soil in a sunny position[2]. Does best in a poor well-drained soil, often self-sowing on stony and sandy sites[2]. Plants resent root disturbance and are best sown in situ[1].

References

  1. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  4. Flora of N. America http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/

    ↩

Edit this page