The genera Argemone of the Papaverceae Family or Poppy Family is well represented here in Baja California. With about 31-32 species found in the world, 5 are endemic here in Baja California. Two thirds of them in Mexico, the southwest US, Hawaii & Central America. They are a true New World native.

In the spring, with their prickly leaves & seed capsules, & yellow or white flowers with 4 to 6 petals, they can’t be missed. Their flower, is distinctly poppy shaped, & similar in structure to their more famous cousins, the California Poppy (Eschscolzia californica), however, more sturdy. The species of the Baja Argemones are annual or perennial herbs or non-woody plant with a single strong main stem that contains a yellow or orange sap containing latex, & has sharp, prickly spines on both sides & the tip of its pinnately lobed leaves. For one species, the Argemone platyceras (munita), this defensive structural mechanism against animal foraging, extends over the surface of the leaves & stems themselves, making all varieties of the plant unpalatable to livestock. But, since all parts of Aregomes plants are poisonous as well, this desert beauty has a double-defence system, with the exception of the seeds, that are favoured & tolerated by desert doves, this plant is rarely eaten. The plants can grow as tall as 1.2 meters high or almost 4 feet high. The seeds are contained in capsules with heavier spines, with 3-6 valves or break-away seed pod petals that when dry, burst open to disperse the seeds. Grow at elevations of 2000 meters above sea level or less & they are found throughout the peninsula, including our Cape Region.

The varieties in Baja are: 1) Argemone ochoroleuca (sweet) which is also known as the Cardo, Armapola amarilla, Chicalote palido & Cardo in Spanish or the Pale Mexican Pricklypoppy or Yellow Prickly Poppy in English, is found Loreto to the Cape Region, from Sonora to Veracruz & Zacatecas on the mainland has pale yellow flowers; 2) Argemone platyceras (munita) is known also as Chicalote de Montaña, Nardo & Cardo in Spanish; Prickly Poppy or Crested Poppy in English is mainly found in BC Norte to El Rosario, north through California, but can also be found in similar regions on the mainland as well, however, in the higher elevations with a white flower; 3) A. Gracilenta, known as the Sonoran Prickly Poppy is another white flower variety found to about 900mts, from San Ignacio to the Sierra Gigante & the gulf islands; 4) A. Subintegrifolia is found from about the state line to El Rosario & on Isla Angel de la Gurada with a white flower; 5) A. Mexicana, is a variety that has some controversy, with some botanists claiming it as a separate species, while others claiming it to be the same as A. Ochoroleuca. Allowing them to fight it out amongst themselves, I can tell you it sports a vibrant yellow or pale yellow flower with leaves covered in stiff hairs, & grows in an immense range from as far north as Vermont in the US to Central America, all of Baja & most of Mexico. That feature alone makes the A Mexicana a species onto itself, in my opinion. Known in Spanish as Chicalote amarillo, Espinocilla, Xate, Shate, Xata' & Chiacalote. Its names in English are extensive, due to its range in the U.S. including Devils Fig, Golden Thistle of Peru, Biniguy Thistle, Cowboy’s Fried Egg & Mexican Thistle.

All members of the Poppy Family contain powerful alkoids. The most famous of these are derived from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, which contain opiate alkoids, famous for opium, codeine, morphine & heroin. It is now illegal to receive, raise, ship or sell opium poppy plants in the United States; as well as, the possession of seeds for the intent to grow. Interesting, because many of the poppy seeds used in cooking & baking come from the same opiate plant, & use for baking is not illegal. But, should you have a poppy seed bagel in the morning & take a drug test, you may fail, so beware! & refrain from cooking your meal in poppy seed oil before such a test as well, as most of the poppy seed oil is produced from the same species too. Although our Baja poppies contain similar alkoids, they do not contain the same “mix” of alkoids or concentrations that are in the opium poppy of this family. The Agremones contain isoquinoline alkoids of argemonine, chelidonine, sanguinarine, ihydrosanguinarine, dihydrosanguinarine, protoverine, berberine, coptisine, protopine, atropine & chelidonine.with known toxicity.

Still, these are not plants to be messed around with. When ingested, they act as GI tract irritants, CNS stimulants, & have varying degrees of neurologic effects, ranging from relaxation & euphoria to seizures. They are also dilate blood vessels. Especially in India, deaths & injuries have been recorded from mustard oil contamination, either from inadvertent or intentional mixing of mustard seeds with Argemone seeds during processing. In 1998, an epidemic of argemone oil poisoning in New Delhi led to 3000 victims & 60 deaths, as well as an elevated incidence of gallbladder carcinoma. The liver, heart, kidney & lungs are the major targets of these toxins & damage is mostly caused to the cell membranes. Symptoms include pitting edema of the extremities, pulmonary edema, hypotension, vomiting, & diarrhea may be present. Following argemone oil poisoning, patients may complain of whole body swelling, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, & shortness of breath. Because of these narcotic & toxic effects, the Argemone genera is considered a noxious weed, especially in agricultural areas & farmers eradicate it routinely. Contamination of feed with seed of Mexican Poppy may result in poisoning of stock, seizures & sometimes death. Transference, although rare, of the toxins into cows’ milk has also been recorded affecting it human consumers. Traditionally today and for thousands of years here in Mexico, differing varieties of the Prickly Poppies have been used for eye drops to soothe eye pain & to remove eye stains and discoloration, cataracts and fleshy bumps on the eyes. Infusions were used to calm a cough, soothe bronchitis & pneumonia, as a sleep enhancer, and to reduce gum inflammation and gingivitis. The flowers applied as poultice cure itch, the ground seeds mixed with milk for skin irritations, the cooked root applied to the scalp for hair loss and dandruff, ingested as an antispasmodic and narcotic, as well as, used in rituals the Prickly poppy was smoked as a euphoriant. Notwithstanding their toxic traits, modern medicine is medical researchers have been studying extensively the alkaloids of Argemone. Because Argemone often has been regarded as a close relative of Papaver, it seemed to be an interesting target in the search for new alkaloids for medicinal use, including as an effective pain reliever & for heart arrhythmia. Studies are being performed to investigate the pharmacological anti-asthmatic properties of A. platyceras on airways Additionally, other studies have had great success with morphine withdrawal and drug abuse treatments from the A. Mexicana. Another Baja native....perhaps an old cure will be revitalized for modern man?

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