Iconic Arable Weeds: The Significance of Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), and Field Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) in Hungarian Ethnobotanical and Cultural Heritage

Abstract

There are an increasing number of initiatives that recognize arable weed species as an important component of agricultural biodiversity. Such initiatives often focus on declining species that were once abundant and are still well known, but the ethnographic relevance of such species receives little recognition. We carried out an extensive literature review on the medicinal, ornamental, and cultural applications of three selected species, Papaver rhoeas, Centaurea cyanus, and Delphinium consolida, in the relevant Hungarian literature published between 1578 and 2021. We found a great diversity of medicinal usages. While P. rhoeas stands out with its sedative influence, D. consolida was mainly employed to stop bleeding, and C. cyanus was most frequently used to cure eye inflammation. The buds of P. rhoeas were sporadically eaten and its petals were used as a food dye. All species fulfilled ornamental purposes, either as garden plants or gathered in the wild for bouquets. They were essential elements of harvest festivals and religious festivities, particularly in Corpus Christi processions. P. rhoeas was also a part of several children's games. These wildflowers were regularly depicted in traditional Hungarian folk art. In poetry, P. rhoeas was used as a symbol of burning love or impermanence; C. cyanus was frequently associated with tenderness and faithfulness; while D. consolida regularly emerged as a nostalgic remembrance of the disappearing rural lifestyle. These plants were also used as patriotic symbols in illustrations for faithfulness, loyalty, or homesickness. Our results highlight the deep and prevalent embeddedness of the three iconic weed species studied in the folk culture of the Carpathian Basin. The ethnobotanical and cultural embeddedness of arable weed species should also be considered when efforts and instruments for the conservation of arable weed communities are designed.

Keywords: anthropology; arable weed conservation; charismatic species; cultural history; cultural symbols; ethnobotany; human–plants relations; medicinal plants; wild food plants.

Figure 1

The three studied weed species and their spectacular mass occurrences in arable fields: (a,b) Papaver rhoeas (Hegyeshalom, NW-Hungary, 2018); (c,d) Centaurea cyanus (Öskü, W-Hungary, 2011); (e,f) Delphinium consolida (Püski, NW-Hungary, 2020; all photographs by Gyula Pinke).

Figure 2

Traditional medicinal products from the three studied species, including (a) dried petals of corn poppy (Rhoeados flos); (b) ray florets of cornflower (Cyani flos); and (c) tepals of field larkspur (Calcatrippae flos) (Photographs by Gyula Pinke).

Figure 3

Food applications of the studied species, including poppy petals and cornflower flowers, used to dye and decorate homemade black elder (Sambucus nigra L.) syrup (a–d); handcrafted cheese (e,f); and cakes (g,h) coloured using poppy petals and petal extracts (Photographs by Gyula Pinke).

Figure 4

Delphinium consolida and Delphinium ajacis L. in a street garden (Markotabödöge, NW Hungary, 2020. Photograph by Gyula Pinke).

Figure 5

The studied species in historical artworks: (a) cereal sheaves with corn poppy and cornflower (postcard with good wishes for a newborn baby from May 1905, collection of Gyula Pinke); (b) ceremonial binding of the landlord (drawing by Mihály Szobonya, source: Vasárnapi Újság, 1888, 35 (28): 457; (c) harvesters with a harvest wreath (postcard, Ostoros, N Hungary, 1910–1920, © Zempléni Múzeum); (d) harvest festival (Kazár, N Hungary, 1940. Photograph by Géza Buzinka, courtesy of Fortepan).

Figure 6

Flower carpet for the procession of Corpus Christi in Budaörs, Hungary (a) 1940; by unknown photographer; (b) 1943; photograph by Carl Lutz; donated by Archiv für Zeitgeschichte ETH Zürich/Agnes Hirschi. Courtesy of Fortepan).

Figure 7

Animated scenes with old-fashioned children’s toys: (a) puppets made from poppy flower; (b) snapping poppy petals on the lips; (c) snapping a poppy bud on the back of the hand (Mosonmagyaróvár, NW Hungary, 2019); (d) a cornflower wreath and a bunch of larkspur (Halászi, NW Hungary, 2022) (Photographs by Gyula Pinke).

Figure 8

Fragment of a panelled cover cloth (late 17th century, Calvinist church of Marosvécs [Brâncovenești], Transylvania, Romania). Cornflower is located in the centre of the motif from which carnations and tulips emerge. The central cornflower is a favourite stylistic element of Transylvanian embroideries (Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest. Photograph by Áment Gellért. © Iparművészeti Múzeum).

Figure 9

Contemporary folk embroideries with wheat ears and arable wildflowers motifs: (a,b) textiles from Vojvodina (N Serbia) with motifs from Ada (a) and Torontálvásárhely [Debeljača] (b) (both manufactured by Veronika Serfőző, photographs by Ágnes Nagy Abonyi. Courtesy of Rozetta Kézműves Társaság, Zenta); (c) Slippers from Szeged (S Hungary, courtesy of Sallay Szegedi Papucs).

Figure 10

(a) Porcelain vase with cornflower motifs (Zsolnay factory); (b) Hand-painted wall plate ceramics (Photographs by Gyula Pinke).

Figure 11

Ceramics from the Hungarian Art Nouveau: (a) Vase with red poppies (ca. 1900, Zsolnay factory, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest. Photograph by Jonatán Urbán and Dávid Kovács. © Iparművészeti Múzeum); (b) Cup with cornflowers (1896, Henrik Giergl company, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest. Photograph by Ágnes Kolozs. © Iparművészeti Múzeum).

Figure 12

Hungarian paintings featuring arable wildflowers; (a) Meadow with poppies (Pál Szinyei Merse, 1896; Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest; © Szépművészeti Múzeum 2022); (b) Summer (The reproduction cards of the ‘Publisher Könyves Kálmán’. Reproduced after: A hatted lady with a bouquet of arable wildflowers, Fülöp Szenes, 1913. Courtesy of Bedő Papírmúzeum); (c) Bouquet of arable wildflowers (Gizella Czeglédi, 1999. Courtesy of Gizella Czeglédi).

Figure 13

Drawings by Rozi Békés for the illustration of Zsigmond Móricz’s novel “Poppies on the sea” (1908), where a major flood on the Tisza river causes the red flowers to float (Courtesy of Rozi Békés).

Figure 14

Stamps with cornflower motifs: (a) “For the mothers with many children”, a series of charity stamps issued by the “cornflower-action” movement (1929–1939) (Courtesy of Bedő Papírmúzeum); (b) a Hungarian postal stamp with arable wildflowers (1980) (Designer József Vertel, Courtesy of Magyar Posta).