Argemone mexicana L. [PAPAVERACEAE]

Argemone mexicana, also called mexican poppy is native to Mexico and North America, and is now grown in many countries due to its interesting properties. In Mali this plant is used by the traditional healers to treat malaria. The oil from the seeds is also used for the treatment of  jaundice, dropsy and certain skin diseases. The oil has been shown to contain the alkaloids sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine. The plant itself contains the alkaloids berberine and protopine. Due to the content of the alkaloids, the oil is characterized as non-edible, but strangely, in Ethiopia the oil is used on the cooking plate used for making the local bread injera. The seed have a look and taste as mustard seeds and have thus been mistaken for mustard seed, causing severe poisoning.