The Papaveraceae are an economically important family of about 42 genera and approximately 775 known species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales, informally known as the poppy family. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates like Eastern Asia as well as California in North America. It is almost unknown in the tropics. A common flower in this family includes Papaver somniferum that's used for the generation of opium as its also called the opium poppy. This family is also rich in alkaloids allowing it to be used in medicine. C. majus is a flower in this family which has antiviral effects against influenza and antiviral, antitumor and antifungal effects all due to it alkaloid properties. Most are herbaceous plants, but a few are shrubs and small trees. The family currently includes two groups that have been considered to be separate families: Fumariaceae and Pteridophyllaceae. Papaver is the classical name for poppy in Latin.