Difference between revisions of "Deadly nightshade"

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|genus=Atropa
 
|common_name=Deadly nightshade
 
|common_name=Deadly nightshade
 
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'''''Atropa belladonna''''', commonly known as '''belladonna''' or '''deadly nightshade''', is a [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[herbaceous plant]] in the family [[Solanaceae]], native to [[Europe]], [[North Africa]], and [[Western Asia]]. The foliage and [[Berry|berries]] are extremely [[toxin|toxic]], containing [[tropane|tropane alkaloid]]s.<ref name=Michael1998>{{Cite book| last = Michael| year = 1998| title = Alkaloids : biochemistry, ecology, and medicinal applications| pages = 20| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=bMCzyrAtrvYC&pg=PA20&dq=hallucinogenic++Atropa+belladonna&lr=&ei=Xe-ySYSOOY3qkQSU_Mm6Dg&client=firefox-a#PPA20,M1| isbn = 0306454653| publisher = Plenum Press| location = New York}}</ref> These toxins include [[scopolamine]] and [[hyoscyamine]] which cause a bizarre [[delirium]] and [[hallucination]]s.<ref name=Wilson2008>{{Cite book| last = Wilson | first =  Jeremy Foster Heather| year = 2008| title = Buzzed : the straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstasy| pages = 107| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=0SjhNDtBerYC&pg=PA107&dq=hallucinogenic++Atropa+belladonna&ei=iOqySYryBZXSlQSkxcW5Dg&client=firefox-a#PPA107,M1| isbn = 0393329852| publisher = W.W. Norton| location = New York City}}</ref> The drug [[atropine]] is derived from the plant.
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Atropa belladonna, Linn. Fig. 436. Plant erect, branching, leafy: Lvs. ovate, entire, pointed: fls. single or in pairs, nodding on lateral peduncles; corolla blue-purple or often greenish purple. Eu. to India.
 
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{{Taxobox
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It has a long history of use as a medicine, cosmetic, and poison. Before the [[Middle Ages]], it was used as an [[Anesthesia|anesthetic]] for surgery, and it was used as a poison by early men, [[Ancient Rome|ancient Romans]], including the wives of two Emperors, and by [[Macbeth of Scotland]] before he became a Scottish King.
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| color = lightgreen
 
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| name = Deadly Nightshade
 
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| image = Koeh-018.jpg
 
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| image_width = 250px
 
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| regnum = [[Plantae]]
 
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
 
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
 
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| ordo = [[Solanales]]
 
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| familia = [[Solanaceae]]
 
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| genus = '''''Atropa'''''
 
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| species = '''''A. belladonna'''''
 
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| binomial = ''Atropa belladonna''
 
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| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
 
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}}
 
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'''Deadly nightshade''' or '''belladonna''' (''[[Atropa]] belladonna'') is a well-known [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[shrub]], with leaves and berries that are highly [[toxic]] and [[hallucinogen]]ic. It is in the nightshade family (''[[Solanaceae]]''), which it shares with [[potato]]es, [[tomato]]es, [[eggplant]]s, [[jimsonweed]], [[tobacco]], and [[chili pepper]]s. In addition, ''[[Solanum nigrum]]'' is also called Deadly nightshade.
 
  
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The Belladonna is native to [[Europe]], [[North Africa]], and [[Western Asia]], and has become naturalized in parts of [[North America]]. It is not nearly as common in the wild as many field guides would suggest. This is because it is readily attacked by mint [[flea beetle]]s ''Longitarsus waterhousei'' and has a low tolerance for direct sunlight. In areas where it has become [[naturalized]] it can often be found in shady, moist areas with a [[limestone]]-rich [[soil]].  
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The genus name &quot;atropa&quot; comes from [[Atropos]], one of the three [[Moirae|Fates]] in [[Greek mythology]] (the one who cuts the thread of life), and the name &quot;atropa bella donna&quot; is derived from an admonition in [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Greek language|Greek]] meaning &quot;do not betray a beautiful lady&quot;.<ref name=&quot;spiegl&quot;/><ref name=&quot;harris&quot;/><ref name=&quot;groombridge&quot;/>
  
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==Description==
 
 
[[Image:Atropa bella-donna1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Atropa belladonna'']]
 
[[Image:Atropa bella-donna1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Atropa belladonna'']]
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The Belladonna has dull green [[leaf|leaves]] and bell-shaped [[flower]]s that are an unremarkable shade of purple, which yield black, shiny [[berry|berries]] measuring approximately 1 [[centimetre|cm]] in diameter. The berries are sweet, but most of their alkaloids are in the seed.  It is an [[herbaceous]] shrub, and can grow to be approximately one [[metre]] tall. The leaves have an oily, &quot;[[Poison-ivy (plant)|poison ivy]]&quot;-like feel and can cause vesicular [[pustular eruption]]s if handled carelessly. Many animals, such as [[rabbit]]s, birds and [[deer]], seem to eat the plant without suffering harmful effects, though dogs and cats are affected. Many reports suggest that people have been poisoned by eating animals which have previously eaten Belladonna, though this has not been verified.
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''Atropa belladonna'' is a branching [[herbaceous]] perennial, often growing as a [[subshrub]], from a fleshy rootstock. Plants grow to {{convert|1.5|m|ft}} tall with {{convert|18|cm|in}} long ovate leaves. The bell-shaped [[flower]]s are dull purple with green tinges and faintly scented. The [[fruit]]s are [[berry|berries]], which are green ripening to a shiny black, and approximately {{convert|1|cm|in}} in diameter. The berries are sweet and are consumed by animals that disperse the [[seed]]s in their droppings, even though the seeds contain toxic [[alkaloid]]s.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kay QON |title=Edible fruits in a cool climate: the evolution and ecology of endozoochory in the European flora. In: Fruit and Seed Production: Aspects of Development, Environmental Physiology and Ecology (Society for Experimental Biology Seminar Series) (Ed. by C. Marshall and J. Grace)|publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=2008 |pages=240 |isbn=0-521-05045-6 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> There is a pale yellow flowering form called ''Atropa belladonna'' var. ''lutea'' with pale yellow fruit.
  
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[[Germination]] is often difficult due to the presence of germination inhibitors in the seeds. Belladonna is not common as a garden plant, and is considered a [[weed]] in some areas. It is not a very hardy perennial and is sensitive to being transplanted.  [[Germination]] requires several weeks in warm, moist, absolutely [[sterilization (microbiology)|sterile]] [[soil]], usually far from normal garden conditions.
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''Atropa belladona'' is rarely used in gardens, but when grown it is usually for its large upright [[habit (biology)|habit]] and showy berries.<ref>{{cite book |author=Stuart, David |title=Dangerous garden: the quest for plants to change our lives |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge |year=2004 |pages=49 |isbn=0-674-01104-X |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> It is [[Naturalisation (biology)|naturalized]] in parts of [[North America]], where it is often found in shady, moist locations with [[limestone]]-rich [[soil]]s. It is considered a [[weed]] species in parts of the world,<ref>http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ATBE</ref> where it colonizes areas with disturbed soils.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Stepp JR |title=The role of weeds as sources of pharmaceuticals |journal=J Ethnopharmacol |volume=92 |issue=2-3 |pages=163–6 |year=2004 |month=June |pmid=15137997 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.002 |url=}}</ref> [[Germination]] of the small seeds is often difficult, due to hard seed coats that cause seed [[dormancy]]. Germination takes several weeks under alternating temperature conditions but can be sped up with the use of [[gibberellic acid]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Genova E, Komitska G, Beeva Y|title=Study on the germination of Atropa Bella-Donna L. Seeds|url=http://www.bio21.bas.bg/ipp/gapbfiles/v-23/97_1-2_61-66.pdf|format=PDF|journal=Bulgarian Journal of Plant Physiology|volume=23|issue=1-2|pages=61–66|year=1997|accessdate=2008-07-08}}</ref> The seedlings need [[sterilization (microbiology)|sterile]] [[soil]] to prevent [[damping off]] and resent root disturbance during transplanting.
  
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== Toxicity ==
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{{Inc|
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[[Image:Atropa bella-donna0.jpg|thumb|Berries of the ''belladonna''.]]
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Atropa belladonna, Linn. Plant erect, branching, leafy: Lvs. ovate, entire, pointed: fls. single or in pairs, nodding on lateral peduncles; corolla blue-purple or often greenish purple. Eu. to India.  
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Belladonna is one of the most [[toxic]] plants found in the [[Western hemisphere]].  Children have been poisoned by eating as few as three  berries. Ingestion of a leaf of the Belladonna can be fatal to an adult. The root of the plant is generally the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to another. 
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All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids.  The berries  pose the greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet taste. Symptoms of belladonna [[poisoning]] are the same as those for [[atropine]] (the best-known of the tropane alkaloids), and include dilated pupils, [[tachycardia]], [[hallucination]]s, blurred [[Visual perception|vision]], loss of [[Sense of balance|balance]], a feeling of [[flight]], staggering, a sense of [[suffocation]], paleness followed by a red [[rash]], flushing, husky voice, extremely dry [[throat]], [[constipation]], [[urinary retention]], and [[mental confusion|confusion]].  The skin can completely dry out and slough off.  Fatal cases have a rapid [[pulse]] that turns feeble. The [[antidote]] is [[physostigmine]] or [[pilocarpine]], the same as for atropine.
 
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The reason for most of these symptoms is atropine's effect on the [[parasympathetic nervous system]]. Atropine competitively inhibits the action of [[acetylcholine]] (ACh) at the acetylcholine receptor in the nerve synapse, thereby preventing the parasympathetic nervous system from sending out electrical nerve impulses. Since the parasympathetic nervous system regulates non-volitional/subconscious activities (such as sweating, breathing, and heart rate) when it is prevented from sending out signals, the heartbeat and breathing become extremely irregular.
 
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The Belladonna is toxic to many domestic animals and livestock; Belladonna poisoning can lead to [[colic]], [[depression (mood)|depression]], weakness, and lack of coordination in [[horse]]s, with fatalities reported even for small amounts from 1 to 10 pounds (0.5 to 5 kg).
 
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== Uses ==
 
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===Cosmetics===
 
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The name ''belladonna'' originates from the historic use by women (''Bella Donna'' is [[Italian language|Italian]] for ''beautiful lady'') to [[mydriasis|dilate]] their [[pupil]]s; an extract of belladonna was used as [[eye drop]]s as part of their makeup preparations. The Belladonna toxin's [[atropine]] content had the effect of dilating the pupil, thus making their eyes supposedly more attractive.  It is now known that atropine has [[anticholinergic]] activity - by blocking the ability of the [[iris]] to constrict, [[mydriasis]] results. Dilated pupils are considered more attractive because pupils normally dilate when a person is [[aroused]], thus making [[eye contact]] much more intense than it already is. It had the [[Adverse effect (medicine)|adverse effect]] of making their [[Visual perception|vision]] a little blurry and making their heart rates increase. Prolonged usage was reputed to cause blindness.
 
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===Modern medicine===
 
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The plant is an important source of [[atropine]], which is an effective antidote to the effects of [[poisoning]] by [[cholinesterase inhibitor]]s such as [[Parathion]] and [[Malathion]]. Atropine will also reverse the effects of poisoning by [[nerve agents]] designed for [[chemical warfare]]. In Europe, the plant is specifically cultivated for this purpose. 
 
  
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[[Optometrist]]s and [[ophthalmologist]]s use atropine for pupil dilation in eye examinations, though the dose used is  small.  Atropine degrades slowly, typically wearing off in 2 to 3 days, so [[tropicamide]] and [[phenylephrine]] is generally preferred as a mydriatic.  Atropine is contraindicated in patients predisposed to narrow angle [[glaucoma]].
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==Cultivation==
  
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Belladonna (as Atropa Belladonna Extract) can also be found in some over-the-counter cold and flu medicines (in small amounts) due to its [[pseudoephedrine]]-like qualities of clearing up nasal and other passages where mucus forms.
 
  
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Being parasympathomimetic, Belladonna (by prescription as a syrup) is also used to treat colicky babies, as the gut naturally produces atropine, and it is thought that colic develops due to inadequate atropine production.  The GI tract is one of the last systems to form before birth, so it is thought that the inadequate atropine production is a result of the GI tract not being finished developing at birth, thus resulting in colic.  Belladonna supplements the gut until there is adequate atropine production.
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===Propagation===
  
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===Alternative Medicine===
 
  
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[[Homeopathic medicine|Homeopathy]] uses Belladonna to treat a variety of afflictions, including sore throat, and [[conjunctivitis]].[http://www.indiangyan.com/books/homeopathybooks/homeopathic_matria/belladona.shtml]
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===Pests and diseases===
  
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===Recreational drug===
 
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Occasionally, the plant is used for recreational purposes:  it is consumed in the form of either a [[tea]] or simply raw, which can produce vivid hallucinations, described by many as a 'living dream'. Upon consumption of this plant, the user will experience all the severe, adverse anticholinergic effects before hallucinating and continue to do so while hallucinating. Use for recreational purposes is considered dangerous because of the risk of accidental overdose.
 
  
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It has been suggested by Alexander Kuklin's book ''[[How Do Witches Fly?]]'' that the [[aconitine]] in [[Aconitum|aconite]] (another toxic hallucinogen) can counter/reduce the toxic effects of atropine in belladonna, while combining their psychedelic effects, and that this combination of bel
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==Varieties==
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ladonna and aconite was used by witches in the middle ages.
 
  
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===Folklore===
 
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Stories claim that the devil has the exclusive rights to plant and harvest this plant. Hence, anyone eating it is visited and killed by the [[devil]]. Many also believed it was a temptation for greedy children as the berries seem to be offered on green plates and look very appetizing.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
 
  
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Belladonna is sometimes claimed as a cure for [[lycanthrope|lycanthropy]].
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==Gallery==
  
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== Trivia ==
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<gallery perrow=5>
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*[[Alcoholics Anonymous]] co-founder Bill Wilson reports having undergone the &quot;belladonna cure&quot; while hospitalized for what would become his final encounter with alcohol in 1935.[http://www.12step.org/steps/bigbook.php#Chapter1]
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File:Atropa Bella-donna3.jpg|Flowers of ''belladonna''
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Image:Atropa bella-donna0.jpg|Berries of ''belladonna''
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File:Atropa Bella-donna2.jpg|Leaves of ''belladonna''
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Image:Koeh-018.jpg| Botanical illustration
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
  
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==See also==
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==References==
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<references/>
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*[[Toxin]]
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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*[[Poison ivy]]
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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{{commons|Atropa belladonna|Deadly nightshade}}
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*{{wplink}}
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*[http://www.shadowplayzine.com/Articles/belladonna.htm Belladonna] in flying ointments
 
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*[http://www.erowid.org/plants/belladonna/belladonna.shtml Erowid - Belladonna Information] (on recreational uses)
 
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*{{cite web | title=Compounds in deadly nightshade | work=USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. | url=http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=143 | accessdate=July 28 | accessyear=2005}}
 
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[[Category:Solanaceae]]
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Deliriants]]
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__NOTOC__
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[[Category:Entheogens]]
 
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[[Category:Herbal and fungal hallucinogens]]
 
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[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
 
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[[Category:Poisonous plants]]
 

Latest revision as of 16:10, 29 January 2010


Atropa Bella-donna3.jpg


Plant Characteristics
Cultivation
Scientific Names

Solanaceae >

Atropa >


If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!


Atropa belladonna, commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing tropane alkaloids.[1] These toxins include scopolamine and hyoscyamine which cause a bizarre delirium and hallucinations.[2] The drug atropine is derived from the plant.

It has a long history of use as a medicine, cosmetic, and poison. Before the Middle Ages, it was used as an anesthetic for surgery, and it was used as a poison by early men, ancient Romans, including the wives of two Emperors, and by Macbeth of Scotland before he became a Scottish King.

The genus name "atropa" comes from Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology (the one who cuts the thread of life), and the name "atropa bella donna" is derived from an admonition in Italian and Greek meaning "do not betray a beautiful lady".[3][4][5]

Atropa belladonna

Atropa belladonna is a branching herbaceous perennial, often growing as a subshrub, from a fleshy rootstock. Plants grow to 1.5 m ft tall with 18 cm in long ovate leaves. The bell-shaped flowers are dull purple with green tinges and faintly scented. The fruits are berries, which are green ripening to a shiny black, and approximately 1 cm in in diameter. The berries are sweet and are consumed by animals that disperse the seeds in their droppings, even though the seeds contain toxic alkaloids.[6] There is a pale yellow flowering form called Atropa belladonna var. lutea with pale yellow fruit.

Atropa belladona is rarely used in gardens, but when grown it is usually for its large upright habit and showy berries.[7] It is naturalized in parts of North America, where it is often found in shady, moist locations with limestone-rich soils. It is considered a weed species in parts of the world,[8] where it colonizes areas with disturbed soils.[9] Germination of the small seeds is often difficult, due to hard seed coats that cause seed dormancy. Germination takes several weeks under alternating temperature conditions but can be sped up with the use of gibberellic acid.[10] The seedlings need sterile soil to prevent damping off and resent root disturbance during transplanting.


Read about Deadly nightshade in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Atropa belladonna, Linn. Plant erect, branching, leafy: Lvs. ovate, entire, pointed: fls. single or in pairs, nodding on lateral peduncles; corolla blue-purple or often greenish purple. Eu. to India.


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

Propagation

Pests and diseases

Varieties

Gallery

  • Flowers of belladonna

  • Berries of belladonna

  • Leaves of belladonna

  • Botanical illustration

  • photo 2

  • photo 3

References

  1. ↑ Michael (1998). Alkaloids : biochemistry, ecology, and medicinal applications. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 20. ISBN 0306454653. http://books.google.com/books?id=bMCzyrAtrvYC&pg=PA20&dq=hallucinogenic++Atropa+belladonna&lr=&ei=Xe-ySYSOOY3qkQSU_Mm6Dg&client=firefox-a#PPA20,M1. 
  2. ↑ Wilson, Jeremy Foster Heather (2008). Buzzed : the straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstasy. New York City: W.W. Norton. pp. 107. ISBN 0393329852. http://books.google.com/books?id=0SjhNDtBerYC&pg=PA107&dq=hallucinogenic++Atropa+belladonna&ei=iOqySYryBZXSlQSkxcW5Dg&client=firefox-a#PPA107,M1. 
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named "spiegl"
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named "harris"
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named "groombridge"
  6. ↑ Kay QON (2008). Edible fruits in a cool climate: the evolution and ecology of endozoochory in the European flora. In: Fruit and Seed Production: Aspects of Development, Environmental Physiology and Ecology (Society for Experimental Biology Seminar Series) (Ed. by C. Marshall and J. Grace). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 240. ISBN 0-521-05045-6. 
  7. ↑ Stuart, David (2004). Dangerous garden: the quest for plants to change our lives. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. pp. 49. ISBN 0-674-01104-X. 
  8. ↑ http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ATBE
  9. ↑ Stepp JR (June 2004). "The role of weeds as sources of pharmaceuticals". J Ethnopharmacol 92 (2-3): 163–6. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.002. PMID 15137997. 
  10. ↑ Genova E, Komitska G, Beeva Y (1997). "Study on the germination of Atropa Bella-Donna L. Seeds" (PDF). Bulgarian Journal of Plant Physiology 23 (1-2): 61–66. http://www.bio21.bas.bg/ipp/gapbfiles/v-23/97_1-2_61-66.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 

External links


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