Unit 53 (053)

1. Geranium

In this unit we study the genus Geranium which includes native and introduced plants.

This genus is in more northern temperate regions compared to the South African

Pelargonium which also has the common name of geranium.

2. Papaveraceae or Poppy Family

The poppy family includes many plants with orange sap or white latex. The white latex

in the fruit of Papaver somniferum is the raw material from which opium is extracted.

Argemone mexicana has milky latex and white veins in the leaves.

3. Fumariaceae or Fumitory Family

The family Fumariaceae is closely related and sometimes included in the

Papaveraceae. This includes Dicentra spectabilis, the common bleeding heart,

which has brittle roots that contain an orange sap.

Dicentra canadensis and Dicentra cucullaria are two common spring wildflowers

in woodlots in Michigan and throughout the eastern United States.