2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
White henbane (Latin Hyoscyamus albus) is a toxic herb of the genus Belena (Latin Hyoscyamus), representing the Solanaceae family on the planet (Latin Solanaceae). While such nightshades as Tomato, Potatoes, Eggplants, which we cannot do without in our menu today, came to Europe from distant America, the toxic white henbane, as botanists believe, was born in southern Europe, later spreading throughout the world following European civilization.
What's in your name
The plant owes the Latin epithet "albus" (white) to a flower corolla, the limb of which, in contrast to the corolla of Black Belena, is pale yellow or white, not burdened with purple veins that pollute the main color background of the latter.
Description
Driving along the roads of the countries of Western Asia, North Africa, as well as southern Europe, it is difficult not to notice the powerful bushes of White Belena with large pubescent leaves and white bells of flowers on the roadsides and fields flashing outside the window. Although the plant is becoming more rare in the vastness of Europe.
This herbaceous plant with an annual or biennial growing cycle exhibits erect or ascending stems growing from an underground woody taproot that goes deep into the soil. Herbaceous stems, densely covered with glandular sticky protruding hairs, which can be silky and soft, simple, or branch in the upper part, forming a wide bush. The height of the stem, depending on living conditions, varies from five centimeters to half a meter.
Along the length of the stem, simple leaves of an ovoid or rounded shape are arranged on the petioles in the next order, which in some subspecies can be pinnate-lobed with three to five pointed or obtuse lobes. The edge of the leaf plate can be smooth or jagged. The base of the leaf is cordate-notched or wedge-shaped, rounded. The leaves, like the stems, are densely covered with soft and silky hairs, or scattered glandular protruding hairs. The bracts may be narrower or the same as the stem leaves.
From May to September, the bush shows the world large flowers that form a spike-shaped or racemose inflorescence. They are either sessile or have short pedicels. Five corolla petals are yellowish or white. Closer to the pharynx, thin stripes or spots of a more juicy yellow or purple-lilac color can be noticed. The pharynx of a flower can be yellow or dark purple. The bare pistil column is equal in length to the surrounding stamens, the filaments of which are covered with hairs in the lower part. The corolla is protected by a tubular-bell-shaped calyx, the fused sepals of which end in sharp triangular teeth, and the outer side is covered with glandular protruding hairs.
The brown-green fruit capsule with a convex lid is much shorter than the fused sepals of the calyx, which looks like a picturesque wine glass, decorated along the edge with five triangular sharp teeth. Inside the capsule are whitish-gray small, cellular, kidney-shaped seeds. The seeds of the white henbane germinate more easily than the seeds of the black henbane.
Usage
White henbane with beautiful large light flowers has an ancient fascinating history. In ancient times, the plant was actively used in religious rituals, for example, in the Greek oracle cult, when people wanted to look into the secrets of the future in order to predict the outcome of one or another vital event. During the Middle Ages, Belena white was part of magic potions and intoxicating beer.
The narcotic belena oil has been used in operations as an anesthetic.
The chemical composition of the roots, stems, leaves and seeds of the plant is very similar to that of the black henbane, although the toxicity of the plant depends on the period of the growing cycle. So, for example, the alkaloid "hyoscyamine" is present in the grass only during the flowering period of the plant.
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Henbane
Helen (lat.Hyoscyamus) - a genus of herbaceous poisonous plants belonging to the Solanaceae family (Latin Solanaceae). All parts of plants of the genus contain toxic alkaloids, which in certain quantities pose a threat to human life. With the correct dosage, the plant turns into a medicinal one, which is actively used by traditional healers and official pharmacology.
Golden Henbane
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Black Henbane
Black henbane (Latin Hyoscyamus niger) - a poisonous herbaceous biennial plant of the genus Belena (Latin Hyoscyamus), representing the Solanaceae family (Latin Solanaceae) on the planet. The Almighty did not skimp on toxic substances, endowing all parts of the Black Belena with them, turning the plant into an enemy of man.
