Opium (poppy tears; lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Opium contains up to 12 percent morphine; an alkaloid; which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine; thebaine and noscapine. The traditional method of obtaining the latex is to scratch ("score") the immature seed pods (fruits) by hand; the latex leaks out and dries to a sticky yellowish residue that is later scraped off the fruit.