CORN POPPY

also called field poppy, or Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas) annual (rarely biennial) plant of the poppy family (Papaveraceae), native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia; it has been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, and North America. The flowers are borne on stems some 2590 cm (1035 inches) long and measure some 710 cm across. They have four petals and are usually a brilliant red, sometimes with a black basal spot. The corn poppy was formerly a widespread weed in cultivated fields, with seeds lying dormant for years and sprouting when the soil was turned. During and after World War I, fields that had been disturbed by battle bloomed with corn poppies, and the flower has become a symbol of that war. One of the most commonly cultivated garden poppies, the Shirley poppy, was bred from the corn poppy. The corn poppy is also the source of a red dye used to colour some wines and medicines.