Isolation and chemistry of the alkaloids from plants of the Papaveraceae, LXXXI Glauca - a new section of the genus Papaver

On the basis of alkaloidal, morphological and chromosomal studies, the section MECONES B ERNH. (Syn.: PAPAVER L., sect. PAPAVER) has been subdivided into two sections. Thus the new section GLAUCA J. N OVAK includes the species PAPAVER GLAUCUM B OISS. et H AUSSKN., P. GRACILE A UCH. and P. DECAISNEI H OCHST. et S TEUD., whereas the section MECONES B ERNH. only the species P. SOMNIFERUM L. and P. SETIGERUM DC. The major alkaloids of the species of the section MECONES are the morphinane alkaloids morphine and codeine, whereas those of the section GLAUCA the rhoeadine and the papaverrubines. The section MECONES has the basic chromosome number x = 11, and the section GLAUCA x = 7. The basic chromosome numbers have been correlated with the morphological features.