papaver somniferum

There are many varieties of poppy pods and most that are sold by individuals are called - whether they actually are or not - papaver somniferum. This is because of the population that makes pt. While the 'wrong kind' of pod still has trace amounts of opiates in it and will do in a pinch such as through a season of shortage when people are forced to adapt to this, nothing compares to poppy tea made from actual papaver somniferum or opium poppy pods. Pods such as rhoas or orientale (oriental poppies / California poppies vary in this way: If it takes 20 pods to create a messy bowl of garbage tea, it takes 2 or 3 of the right kind to do the same with so much less mess and hassle. AND, the wrong kind of pod, while it may work in quantity to some degree will NEVER produce the same results one gets from using the right kind of pod. People will buy the cheapest pods they can find yet if it takes 20 of those compared to the more expensive correct kind, it costs a whole lot more to use those cheap pods which don't even produce the desired effect. Contrary to popular belief, by looking at a poppy pod, there is no way whatsoever to tell if they are the right kind. AND, unless you actually grew the pods or saw the flowers from where they came, you never can know for sure if they are the right kind. There is no tell-tale sign of which ones are papaver somniferum. They look just like papaver rhoas and papaver orientale - even giganthums, oval pods (or ovalies as they are often called) - there is no way to know if the seller is just calling their pods papaver somniferum. However, price is often a great indicator of which pods are the right kind and which are the wrong kind. Now floral shops on the net that sell 6 for $20 - that does not count as actual floral designers or interior decorators will pay top dollar for a pretty pod. Yet from your bulk supplier, the right kind costs more since the poppy farms know what they are worth and also the risks involved. Generally you get exactly what you pay for out there.