California poppy

What is NOT the california poppy: an alkaloid plant.

It is essential to mention that california poppy does not belong to the group of plants classified as alkaloid plants.

To start with, what is an alkaloid?. From the chemical point of view, alkaloids are nitrogenous compounds that exist in great abundance under several forms; in certain places of plants (the california poppy is not an alkaloid plant), like the fruit and sap, it is also commnly found in the bark of trees. They are also called plants’ active ingredients, because the effect they exert on animal organisms is among the most energetic. Alkaloids are among the most important pharmacologically, or medicinally, active compounds. Interest in them has traditionally stemmed from their dramatic physiological or phsycological effect on humans. They are bitter-tasting nitrogenous compounds that are basic (alkaline) in their chemical properties. This explains its widely spread use in medicine: they usually are pretty violent poisons. It also exist alkaloids from animal origin.

The nature of alkaloid plants (not the california poppy), are very diverse and sometimes complex. It has prevented from a classification establishment complete and perfect. Its basic character, its nitrogenous constitution and its ease to join acids to form salts, the same way that it is made between ammonia and amines, made that chemical and botanical scholars had considered alkaloids as “substitute ammonia”.

The most important alkaliod plants (the california poppy does not belong to this plant’s classification) according to its importance, origin and main qualities are:

Cocaine: Its chemicla formula is C17H21NO4 Alkaloid that it is found in the poppy leaves. Its hydrochlorate is well used in medicine because it is a powerful anesthetic.

Coniina: Its chemicla formula is C8H17N. alkaloid obtained from the hemlock plant. It is a liquid with an astonished smell and no color as a main characteristics. It is the most simple of alkaloids and its synthesis has been performed from its basic elements. It has medicinal applications as ointment to cure cancer disease and within the human body as an antispasmodic. The extracts and tinctures from hemlock leaves have been used for these purposes.

Morphine: Its chemicla formula is C17H19NO3 ,H2O. It is one of the main opium alkaloids, exuded substance from the fruits of poopy (papaver); it is solid, white, crystalline and bitter. It is used in medicine under the form of hydrochlorate, acetate, sulphate or hydrobromide. It is a dangerous poison. Its immoderate use as sedative and soporific causes disastrous effects, reaching the morphine addict status.

The alkaloid plants usually are solid and crystalline substances (the nicotine of tobacco and the coniina of hemlock are liquid). They are commonly found in plants under the form of salts, they are the bases of these kind of salts. The main organic elements and/or components of alkaloids are: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus.