Spreng.Synonym: M. microcarpa Bertol. M. officinarum Linn.Family: Solanaceae.
Habitat: Mediterranean region.
English: Mandrake.Ayurvedic: Wrongly equated with Lakshmanaa, a fertility promoting herb. (In Indian medicine, Panax quinquefolium Linn. and Panax schinseng Nees have been equated with Lakshmanaa.)
Action: Anaesthetic, narcotic, poisonous. Alkaloid pattern similar to Atropa belladona. A sample of roots from Morocco contained atropine (0.2% at flowering stage).
In India, Panax sp. are perceived as fertility and vitality promoting herbs, which have been attributed to Laksh- manaa. Mandrake exhibits anticholinergic effects.English Mandrake and American Mandrake are equated with Bryonia alba and Podophyllum hexandrum respectively.... mandragora autumnalis
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