| Hyoscyamus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hyoscyamus niger | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Subfamily: | Solanoideae |
| Tribe: | Hyoscyameae |
| Genus: | Hyoscyamus L.[1] |
| Species | |
|
11, see text | |
Hyoscyamus — known as the henbanes — is a small genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It comprises 11 species, all of which are toxic. It, along with other genera in the same family, is a source of the drug hyoscyamine (daturine). Cruciferous type of stomata is present in Hyoscyamus.
Hyoscyamus means "hog-bean" in botanical Latin and was a name derogatorily applied to the plant by Dioscorides.[2]
The poisonous, narcotic henbanes were associated with witchcraft since earliest times. The Assyrians recommended hanging them on one's door to ward off sorcery. Witches found them valuable especially due to their trance-inducing capabilities, and they were used in flying ointment rituals. They have been used to lessen pain, neuralgia and diminish convulsions. Dioscorides recommended them largely for external pain killing use. The leaves are made into a kind of cigarette to relieve asthma and other respiratory ailments.[3]
Selected species[edit]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
Hyoscyamus albus L. – White henbane | Spain and Morocco |
 |
Hyoscyamus aureus L. – Golden henbane | |
| Hyoscyamus boveanus L. | ||
| Hyoscyamus desertorum L. | ||
 |
Hyoscyamus muticus L. – Egyptian henbane (synonym: H. falezlez) | North Africa and Arabia |
 |
Hyoscyamus niger L. – Black henbane | Eurasia |
 |
Hyoscyamus pusillus L. | East Asia |
| Hyoscyamus reticulatus L.[4] |
References[edit]
- ^ "Hyoscyamus L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2009-09-01. Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
- ^ Gledhill D. 1996. The Names of Plants. Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521366755
- ^ Flowers of Greece and the Aegean by Anthony Huxley and William Taylor - Chatto & Windus, London 1977 - ISBN 0 7011 2228 5
- ^ "Species Records of Hyoscyamus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
External links[edit]
Media related to Hyoscyamus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Hyoscyamus at Wikispecies
