Atropa belladonna
Name: Belladonna
Biological Name: Atropa belladonna
Other Names: Black cherry, deadly nightshade, dwale, poison black cherry, belladonna
Parts Used: Leaves, tops, berries
Therapeutic Uses
:
Antispasmodic, calmative, diaphoretic, diuretic, narcotic.
The narcotic action of belladonna can produce paralysis by affecting the central nervous system. Not to be used without medical direction.
Description:
Belladonna is a perennial plant found occasionally in waste places in the eastern states of the U.S., more commonly in European pastures, mountain forests, ruins, and waste places. A thick, creeping, whitish, fleshy rootstock sends up an erect, leafy stem that usually splits into three branches and attains a height of up to 5 feet. The dull green, ovate leaves grow in pairs, one leaf being half as large as the other. Belladonna flowers are solitary, bell-shaped, and dull brown to dark purple in color. The fruit is a sweet-tasting, black, shiny berry about the size of a cherry.
Safety:
The narcotic action of belladonna can produce paralysis by affecting the central nervous system. Not to be used without medical direction.
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