Rough Poppy

Rough poppy (Papaver hybridum) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It is a common and widespread weed of crops, pastures, waste areas and disturbed sites in temperate and semi-arid areas. However, its also invades disturbed grasslands and open woodlands (i.e. range lands and grazed arid zone woodlands).

Mature plants erect to 50 cm, hairy with a milky sap. Cotyledons long, spear shaped, hairless with a pointed apex. First leaves long, spear shaped and hairless. Leaves hairy and deeply lobed into segments, which are also lobed. Flowers borne singly on long hairy stalk, 4 red petals 10 to 20 mm long, a dark spot at the base. Fruit an egg shaped capsule, 10 to 15 mm long, covered with upward curving bristles.