The image, above, shows the full Welsh poppy plant (Papavercambricum), top. Also shown are a close-up of the flower,
(the yellow form, bottom left and the orange form, bottom
centre). Also shown are the ripe seed heads and the edible seeds,
bottom right..
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Common Name: Welsh Poppy |
| Scientific Name: Papaver cambricum (syn Meconopsis cambrica) |
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Other Names: Pabi Cymreig (CY) |
| Family: Papaveraceae |
| Range: Upland areas of Western Europe from the British Isles to the Iberian Peninsula |
Physical Characteristics
Meconopsis cambrica is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 80cm (2 ft 8 in) by 20cm (8 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from June to August and seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees, flies and beetles. The plants are also self-pollinating. Welsh Poppy is a noted wildlife attractant.
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| Edible Parts: Seeds, Flower Petals, Leaves |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
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 Known Hazards: This plant is toxic to mammals (it contains alkaloids in the leaves and stem that grazing mammals are particularly susceptible to), though the toxicity is low. The seed is non-toxic, is easy to collect and is good in baking.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Welsh Poppy along with all the Welsh Poppy containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
These recipes, all contain Welsh Poppy as a major wild food ingredient.
The Welsh Poppy, Papaver cambricum, (also known as Pabi Cymraeg [in Welsh]) is a variable perennial flowering plant in the Papaveraceae (poppy) family. The four petals are a vivid in colour and range from yellow to orange in colour. They are native to Western Europe, from the British Isles to the Iberian Peninsula. Papaver cambricum lives in damp, shady places on rocky ground. In its most western locations, it is increasingly found on more open ground with less cover. It is especially well adapted to colonising gaps and crevices in rocks and stones. This habit has enabled it to colonise the urban environment, growing between paving slabs and at the edges of walls. The plant is is endemic to upland areas of Western Europe; it is found natively in the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and some western parts of the British Isles (Wales, south-western England and parts of Ireland, though because of its attractive foliage and flowers it has been widely naturalized outside its native range.
In terms of structure, Papaver cambricum has pinnately divided leaves composed of pinnately divided leaflets. The flower is distinctively yellow or orange with four petals, and coarsely hairy green sepals that fall off soon after the flower opens. Once fertilized the flowers develop into seed pods that gradually dry and open allowing the seeds within to be released. It spreads easily from the numerous small black seeds produced in the summer. The leaves of the Welsh Poppy are mildly toxic to grazing animals and should not be consumed. However, the petals and seeds are entirely edible.
Unlike the oriental poppy (also known as the opium poppy) Papaver somniferum (from which commercial poppy seeds are derived) the Welsh Poppy contains no opiates and it's entirely safe to eat the flowers (which make an excellent garnish for a salad) and the seeds which can be collected when the seed pods open by simply tapping them out. They can be used in any recipe that calls for commercial poppy seeds (though they are slightly less flavoursome). Indeed, field poppy seeds impart a pleasant, nutty, flavour to any any dish they are added to. The seeds can be crushed in a mortar to form a paste that can be spread over cakes or even bread. The seeds can also be pressed to yield an oil that is as useful in cooking as olive oil.
The petals are edible raw in salads. They can also be cooked in syrup to give a yellow to orange sugar syrup that is useful in baking and also makes a great base for cocktails. The petals can be made into a wine or mead.
Though the leaves have been consumed in the past (they were added raw to salads and cooked like a spinach) some caution should be taken if consuming the leaves, and only eat in small quantities.
Recent molecular phylogenetic studies show that Papaver cambricum was known as is not related to other species of Meconopsis, but is instead nested within Papaver. Indeed, Linnaeus' original name for the plant (1753) was Papaver cambricum and the taxonomic placement of the plant has now been changed to reflect this new placement.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1999
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–12.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants, 2004
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland, 2011
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) — How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland, 2006
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles, 1983
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles, 1987
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms, 2006
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms, 2011
[12]. Bunker, F. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland, Second Edition, 2017
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia II — A Source Book of Edible Plants, 1998
[14]. Hartford, R. Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland: A Foraging and Photographic Identification Guide
(Note that the above book links are Amazon Affiliate links)
These recipes, all contain Welsh Poppy as a major wild food ingredient.
The Welsh Poppy, Papaver cambricum, (also known as Pabi Cymraeg [in Welsh]) is a variable perennial flowering plant in the Papaveraceae (poppy) family. The four petals are a vivid in colour and range from yellow to orange in colour. They are native to Western Europe, from the British Isles to the Iberian Peninsula. Papaver cambricum lives in damp, shady places on rocky ground. In its most western locations, it is increasingly found on more open ground with less cover. It is especially well adapted to colonising gaps and crevices in rocks and stones. This habit has enabled it to colonise the urban environment, growing between paving slabs and at the edges of walls. The plant is is endemic to upland areas of Western Europe; it is found natively in the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and some western parts of the British Isles (Wales, south-western England and parts of Ireland, though because of its attractive foliage and flowers it has been widely naturalized outside its native range.
In terms of structure, Papaver cambricum has pinnately divided leaves composed of pinnately divided leaflets. The flower is distinctively yellow or orange with four petals, and coarsely hairy green sepals that fall off soon after the flower opens. Once fertilized the flowers develop into seed pods that gradually dry and open allowing the seeds within to be released. It spreads easily from the numerous small black seeds produced in the summer. The leaves of the Welsh Poppy are mildly toxic to grazing animals and should not be consumed. However, the petals and seeds are entirely edible.
Unlike the oriental poppy (also known as the opium poppy) Papaver somniferum (from which commercial poppy seeds are derived) the Welsh Poppy contains no opiates and it's entirely safe to eat the flowers (which make an excellent garnish for a salad) and the seeds which can be collected when the seed pods open by simply tapping them out. They can be used in any recipe that calls for commercial poppy seeds (though they are slightly less flavoursome). Indeed, field poppy seeds impart a pleasant, nutty, flavour to any any dish they are added to. The seeds can be crushed in a mortar to form a paste that can be spread over cakes or even bread. The seeds can also be pressed to yield an oil that is as useful in cooking as olive oil.
The petals are edible raw in salads. They can also be cooked in syrup to give a yellow to orange sugar syrup that is useful in baking and also makes a great base for cocktails. The petals can be made into a wine or mead.
Though the leaves have been consumed in the past (they were added raw to salads and cooked like a spinach) some caution should be taken if consuming the leaves, and only eat in small quantities.
Recent molecular phylogenetic studies show that Papaver cambricum was known as
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1999
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–12.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants, 2004
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland, 2011
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) — How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland, 2006
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles, 1983
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles, 1987
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms, 2006
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms, 2011
[12]. Bunker, F. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland, Second Edition, 2017
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia II — A Source Book of Edible Plants, 1998
[14]. Hartford, R. Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland: A Foraging and Photographic Identification Guide
(Note that the above book links are Amazon Affiliate links)
The alphabetical list of all Welsh Poppy recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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