Annual, (15-) 30-60 cm tall, nearly glabrous to hispid or bristly, simple or sparsely branched from below. Latex usually milky. Leaves pinnatifid (very rarely reaching to pinnatisect condition), (5-) 7-15 cm long, 2-3 cm broad; segments lobed, usually acute. Flower bud ovoid, (5-) 7-10 mm long, often nodding. Flowers (2-) 3-5 (-7) cm in diam., terminal, on usually 10-20 cm long, appressedly bristly peduncles. Sepals 2, caducous, glabrous or bristly, ovoid. Petals 20-40 mm long, suborbicular-obovate, usually reddish, pinkish or pale scarlet with basal dark blotch or spots, caducous. Stamens as long as the ovary; anthers broad elliptic, c. 1 mm long. Capsule oblong, narrowed towards the base, (10-) 15-20 (-25) mm long, 4-8 mm broad, glabrous, usually distinctly ribbed; stigmatic rays (4-) 7-9 (-12), falling a little short of the shallowly lobed margin of the disk; seeds very small, kidney-shaped, minutely netted, usually bluish-black or brownish.

Fl.Per. March June.

Type: Switzerland & Britain, Herb. Linn. no. 669/7 (LINN).

Distribution: Europe and Asia.

A very variable and complex species, and often split into a number of taxa, whose status seems to be doubtful due to numerous intermediate forms and overlapping of characters. Papaver laevigatum M. Bieb. and Papaver litwinowii Fedde ex Bornm. considered to be intermediate taxa between this species and Papaver decaisnei Hochst. & Steud. ex Boiss., with somewhat glaborus or less bristly habit and pinkish petals with or without black dots, cannot be separated from Papaver dubium after examining many specimens and because of their leaves narrowed below.

Papaver dubium seems to be confined to the northern region of W. Pakistan, and its occurrence in Baluchistan seems to be doubtful. Whatever has been called as Papaver dubium from Baluchistan, by previous authors (such as Burkill l.c 6), is perhaps Papaver decaisnei, with clasping and rounded leaf bases (not narrowed ones, which are common features of Papaver dubium). However, detailed biosystematic study seems necessary to clarify many complex problems. It seems to have no narcotic value.