mandrake
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- Related Topics:
- myth
- Solanaceae
- Mandragora officinarum
mandrake, (genus Mandragora), genus of six species of hallucinogenic plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to the Mediterranean region and the Himalayas. The plants are particularly noted for their potent roots, which somewhat resemble the human form and have a long history of use in religious and superstitious practices.
Mandrake plants generally have a short stem bearing a tuft of ovate leaves, often arranged in a basal rosette. The flowers are solitary with a bell-shaped corolla of five petals; they range from purple to yellow-green in colour. The fruit is a fleshy orange-coloured berry. The plants are characterized by a long thick taproot that is often forked. All parts of the plants contain tropane alkaloids and are considered poisonous.
The best-known species, Mandragora officinarum, has long been known for its poisonous properties. In ancient times it was used as a narcotic and an aphrodisiac, and it was also believed to have certain magical powers. Its root was thought to be in the power of dark earth spirits. It was believed that the mandrake could be safely uprooted only in the moonlight, after appropriate prayer and ritual, by a black dog attached to the plant by a cord. Human hands were not to come in contact with the plant. In medieval times it was thought that as the mandrake was pulled from the ground, it uttered a shriek that killed or drove mad those who did not block their ears against it. After the plant had been freed from the earth, it could be used for beneficent purposes, such as healing, inducing love, facilitating pregnancy, and providing soothing sleep. Mandrake is still used occasionally in homeopathic and folk medicine and has applications in modern witchcraft and occult practices.
In North America the name mandrake is often used for the mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) of the barberry family (Berberidaceae).