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The peony poppy (Papaver somniferum var. paeoniflorum) belongs to Papaveraceae (the Poppy family). It is a biennial herb that is a variant of "Opium poppy" native from the eastern Mediterranean coast to Asia Minor. The stem is upright and the height is about 1 meter. The whole plant is hairless. The leaves are gray-green, oblong to long ovate, alternate, with irregular notches on the edges and are ruffled. Also the leaves hold the stem at the base. The large double flowers such as white, red, pink and purple come on top of flower stems around May. Various horticultural varieties are also produced, but general cultivation in Japan is prohibited.
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