![]() Ingestion of mandrake root causes intoxication that causes gastrointestinal pain, vomiting and tachycardia.īeyond a certain amount, the consumption of mandrakes can lead to visual and auditory hallucinations, seizures, memory loss and sexual arousal. The subjects most at risk are children, the elderly, people with previous pathologies, but the consumption of mandrake remains dangerous for anyone. The compounds responsible for the effects of the mandrake are the tropane alkaloids present in all parts of the plant, especially in the rhizome. Today the mandrake is no longer used either in the medical field or for phytotherapeutic purposes due to its high toxicity. Mandrake is a hallucinogenic plant used since ancient times as a hypnotic, as a panacea for all ills and as an aphrodisiac. Despite what the sign theory claims, which attributes properties to a plant or parts of it according to its shape, the mandrake is more useful as an analgesic, sedative and narcotic, than as an aphrodisiac.Īt one time, in fact, the extracts obtained from the mandrake such as the mother tincture of mandrake or mandrake oil were used in the treatment of pain, as well as to promote sleep and improve sexual performance. The rhizome of the mandrake contains several propane alkaloids including atropine, common to other Solanaceae such as Belladonna and characterized by high toxicity. Mandrake root is the drug of this plant and was once used for narcotic action and against pain. To recognize the mandrake it is preferable to go to a botanical garden where it is present and observe the specimens during the various seasons, noting details useful for recognition in the spontaneous state. What is unmistakable of the mandrake is the rhizome, but it is not appropriate to eradicate plants in nature in order to verify their identity. To recognize the mandrake plant it is necessary to keep in mind that, compared for example to the borage, this species forms basal rosettes of hairless leaves and the flowers are not carried by stems but develop from the ground.Ĭompared to other species that bloom in spring or summer, the mandrake blooms in autumn with bell-shaped flowers and subsequently forms yellow berries. Both varieties can be easily confused with other edible species simili in appearance, including borage and wild spinach. The Mandragora officinarum is widespread in northern Italy, while in the south is the Mandragora autumnalis. The mandrake plant generally grows in fallow fields and along sunny paths. The roots of mandrake have in fact a particular vaguely anthropomorphic forked appearance from which probably derive the many legends and superstitions that accompany this plant since ancient times. After flowering, inedible yellow and fleshy berries originate from the flowers. The mandrake plant has a rosette of basal leaves, whole or toothed, from which greenish, blue or light purple flowers sprout. The mandrake, also called “mandrake”, is a toxic plant of small medium size belonging to the Solanaceae family, present in the spontaneous state also in our country. Mandrake is a toxic plant once used as an analgesic, hallucinogen, sedative and aphrodisiac.Īlways accompanied by superstitions and considered magical, the mandrake today is no longer used in the medical and phytotherapeutic field due to its high toxicity.
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