'Amphora' Poppy

Papaver somniferum Origin: Philomath, Oregon Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~250 Germination tested 11/2021: 96% Life cycle: Annual From breeder and our seed source, Frank Morton: "A simple white poppy with elegant pink crepe margins. This is a "rattlepod" type, useful as a quiet percussion instrument, or as an oilseed variety that won't prematurely spill the seed. Most pods have a graceful amphora shape."Poppy seeds are not only edible, used in treats both savory and sweet, but they also produce an edible oil much prized in certain cultures for both cooking or raw use. Additionally, as the botanical name indicates (Papaver somniferum — "poppy that brings sleep") this species is probably most well-known as the source of opium, which is the narcotic latex extracted from the unripe seed pods. It is illegal in the United States to extract opium from poppy pods — and it is even more illegal to "refine" the raw product into morphine or heroine. But while opium is a controll