Bluestem pricklypoppy
StarArgemone albiflora
Synonyms: Argemone alba var. typica
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In North American folk herbal medicine a tea made from the leaves of white prickly poppy has been used as a demulcent, and an infusion of the plant taken or applied for jaundice, skin ailments, colds, colic and wounds (PFAF, ref. 222; Useful Temperate Plants). The plant is toxic, containing alkaloids, and the seed oil in particular can cause glaucoma and oedema, so internal use is hazardous.
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Botanical Description
Argemone albiflora, the white or bluestem prickly poppy, is an annual or biennial herb in the poppy family (Papaveraceae), native to the south-eastern and south-central United States, where it grows in fields, roadsides, pastures and other open, disturbed ground. It forms an erect, branching, prickly, bluish-green to glaucous stem 30 to 100 centimetres tall that exudes a yellow latex when broken. The alternate, sessile, clasping leaves are lobed and coarsely toothed, with spiny margins and prickles along the veins. The showy flowers, borne singly at the branch tips, are 5 to 10 centimetres across with four to six crinkled, papery, pure white petals surrounding a dense central cluster of numerous yellow stamens and a dark purplish stigma. The fruit is a spiny, oblong capsule that splits at the top to release many small, rounded, dark seeds. All parts contain toxic isoquinoline alkaloids, and the seed oil is poisonous.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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