Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 30, 2026

Argemone

Argemone is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae commonly known as prickly poppies. There are about 32 species native to the Americas and Hawaii. The generic name originated as ἀργεμώνη in Greek and was applied by Dioscorides to a poppy-like plant used to treat cataracts.

Last revised
Jun 30, 2026
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≈ 2 min
Length
402 w
Citations
9
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Argemone
Argemone subfusiformis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Papaveraceae
Subfamily: Papaveroideae
Tribe: Papavereae
Genus: Argemone
L.1
Species

See text

Argemone is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae commonly known as prickly poppies.2 There are about 32 species native to the Americas and Hawaii.3 The generic name originated as ἀργεμώνη in Greek and was applied by Dioscorides to a poppy-like plant used to treat cataracts.45

Selected species

  • Argemone aenea G.B. Ownbey – golden prickly poppy
  • Argemone albiflora Hornem – bluestem prickly poppy
    • Argemone albiflora subsp. albiflora
    • Argemone albiflora subsp. texana G.B.Ownbey
  • Argemone arizonica G.B.Ownbey – Arizona prickly poppy
  • Argemone aurantiaca G.B.Ownbey – Texas prickly poppy
  • Argemone chisosensis G.B.Ownbey – Chisos Mountain prickly poppy
  • Argemone corymbosa Greene – Mojave prickly poppy
    • Argemone corymbosa subsp. arenicola
    • Argemone corymbosa subsp. corymbosa
  • Argemone glauca (Nutt. ex Prain) Pope – pua kala (Hawaii)6
    • Argemone glauca var. decipiens G.B.Ownbey
    • Argemone glauca var. glauca (Nutt. ex Prain) Pope
  • Argemone gracilenta Greene – Sonoran prickly poppy
  • Argemone hispida A.Gray – rough prickly poppy
  • Argemone mexicana L. – Mexican prickly poppy
  • Argemone munita Durand & Hilg. – flat-bud prickly poppy
  • Argemone ochroleuca Sweet – pale Mexican prickly poppy
  • Argemone pinnatisecta (G.B.Ownbey) S.D.Cerv. & C.D.Bailey
  • Argemone platyceras Link & Otto – chicalote
  • Argemone pleiacantha Greene – southwestern prickly poppy
    • Argemone pleiacantha subsp. ambigua G.B.Ownbey
    • Argemone pleiacantha subsp. pleiacantha
  • Argemone polyanthemos (Fedde) G.B.Ownbey – crested prickly poppy
  • Argemone sanguinea Greene – red prickly poppy
  • Argemone squarrosa Greene – hedgehog prickly poppy
    • Argemone squarrosa subsp. glabrata
    • Argemone squarrosa subsp. squarrosa
  • Argemone subfusiformis G.B.Ownbey27

Formerly placed here

References

References

  1. "Genus: Argemone L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2001-11-28. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  2. "Argemone". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  3. Argemone. Flora of North America.
  4. Gledhill, D. (2008). The Names of Plants (4 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3.
  5. ἄργεμον (argemon) means "cataract" in Greek. See Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. Vol. I: A-C. CRC Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
  6. "pua kala, kala, naule, pokalakala". Hawaii Ethnobotany Online Database. Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  7. "GRIN Species Records of Argemone". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
External links
Further reading

Further reading