Atropa L.
Aka Atropa Belladonna L.
Location: Africa, Asia, and Europe
Atropa Belladonna grows in a variety of regions around the world. It can grow up to 3 feet tall with ovate-shaped leaves. The plant is most easily recognized by its droopy, “bell” like purple colored flowers. These flowers can sometimes be a brownish color but always contain shiny black berries. All parts of the Atropa Belladonna plant contain alkaloids, many being very potent. Traditionally, it was used as an ingredient in many witch potions.
There are a lot of instances where Atropa Belladonna has been used for pharmaceutical purposes. This is because Atropa produces a high scopolamine alkaloid content in the leaves, roots and seeds. This is a very dangerous, very poisonous ethnobotanical…and has been notoriously used to poison an entire army in the war of the Scots. Duncan I in 1035 A.D. Destroyed the entire Scandinavian army by poisoning their food supply with the Deadly Nightshade. It is also known as (for basically that reason) as the Sleepy Nightshade.
