Opium poppy

Description:

Tall, upright, silver plant with pink flowers. There are mauve colored splotches on both the inside and outside near the base of the petals. The leaves are lobed and serrated.

Habitat:

Sandy bank of a fresh water lake. This was the only one in sight. This is not native and hasn't been recorded as being in this county.

Notes:

"The opium poppy is the principal source of most naturally occurring μ-opioid receptor agonist opioids. The opium poppy is, by definition, the root source of all opioids considered opiates. Opiates are extracted from opium and poppy straw. Opium (also called “raw opium”) is the latex harvested by making incisions on the green capsules (seed pods). Poppy straw is the dried mature plant except the seeds, harvested by mowing. From opium and poppy straw, alkaloids are extracted such as morphine, thebaine, codeine and oripavine. Morphine is the predominant alkaloid found in the varieties of opium poppy plant cultivated in most producing countries. Opium was used for treating asthma, stomach illnesses, and bad eyesight. The First and Second Opium Wars between China, the British Empire and France took place in the late 1830s through the early 1860s when the Chinese attempted to stop western traders smuggling opium into their country." - Wikipedia