Erect, annual, 15-50 cm tall, sparsely branched, usually stiffly hairy with appressed (distinctly appressed above) or subappressed, 1-1.5 mm long whitish hairs. Latex white. Leaves 2-3- pinnatisect, ± hispid, with linear or oblong, short ultimate lobes, with somewhat revolute margins, usually bristle-tipped; basal leaves in loose rosette, 7-15 cm long, 2-3 cm broad, stalked with 2-3 pairs of primary lateral segments (lobes) and a terminal one; upper or cauline leaves similar but gradually becoming smaller and sessile upwards. Flowers 2-5 cm in diam., on terminal or axillary, often droping, (5-) 10-15 (-25) cm long leafless, conspicuously appressedly hairy peduncles. Flower bud (6-) 8-12 (-15) mm long, 6-8 mm broad, broadly ellipsoid with entire apex, densely bristly with 1.5-2.5 mm long whitish or yellowish, sub-appressed broad based setae or bristles. Petals broadly obovate-suborbicular, 10-20 (-25) mm long, usually pink-red to crimson or scarlet with blackish violet spot at the base. Stamens about as long or slightly longer than the ovary; filaments somewhat thickened above, usually violet with somewhat bluish anthers; anthers c. 1 mm long. Capsule 10-15 mm long, 6-10 (-12) mm broad, subglobose or broadly oval globose, densely covered with yellowish, (1.5-) 2-2.5 mm long, subspreading or ± recurved bristles; stigmate disc short, much narrower than the capsule, convex with 4-8 stigma rays, not exceeding the disc; seeds very small, grey-brown or black with many, minute somewhat rectangular alveoli.

Fl.Per. April-June.

Type: South Europe,! Herb. Linn. no. 669/1 (LINN).

Distribution: Europe, N. Africa, S.W. and C. Asia, Afghanistan and West Pakistan; introduced elsewhere.

A less common species and occurring at lower altitudes in our area. It is interesting to note that it has not yet been recorded from Baluchistan, where the following allied species, A. pavoninum Schrenk, occurs in abundance.

This ‘Round prickly-headed poppy’ has no narcotic value.