Papaver bracteatum Lindl.—a new plant source of opiates

Abstract

Abstract Certain strains of P. bracteatum Lindl. are reported to contain in the roots significant quantities of thebaine, which can be used for the production of codeine and other opiates. Results from plants raised from Iranian seeds and grown near London for 4 to 5 years are presented. The botanical and chemical characters correspond closely to those of the active strain Halle III described by Böhm (1970) and enable this plant to be clearly distinguished from the closely related P. orientale L. The thebaine content of the roots was 0.25 % which is much lower than the value of 0.7 to 1.3% reported in Halle III roots. The fruiting tops, however, were also investigated and found to contain significant amounts of thebaine in field conditions. If tops were harvested in the summer and roots in the autumn, about 15 kg thebaine per hectare should be produced from our strain grown in the conditions described. This compares favourably with about 1 kg alkaloids per hectare from Turkish opium production or even the 3 kg per hectare from the high yielding Indian farms.