SOLANACE#. 
Tourn. inst. p. 76. t. 12. Lin. hort. cliff p. 51. 
364. Sabb. hort. rom. 1. t. 1. Juss. gen. p. 125. Gaertn. 
fruct. 2. p. 237. t. 131. f. 1. D. C. syn. fi. gall. p. 236. 
A'tropa species, Lin. gen. and most other authors. 
Lin. syst. Pentdndria, Monogynia. Calyx turbinate, 5-an- 
gled, 5-cleft. Corolla campanulate, 5-cleft. Stamens 5. Fila- 
ments dilated at the base, and connivent, but filiform and diva- 
ricate at apex. Ovarium furnished with a circular gland round 
the base, which is drawn out into 2 horns. Stigma capitate, 
furrowed. Berry globose, apple-shaped, fleshy, solid, 1-celled, 
having the receptacles rather prominent inside. . Seeds many, 
reniform, peripherie, disposed in a simple series.—Stemless, 
fetid plants, with broad radical leaves; large, fusiform, usually 
forked roots; and numerous single-flowered scapes, which are 
always shorter than the leaves. 
1 M. orriciNA RUM (Lin. spec. ed. 1st. p. 181.) leaves ob- 
long-lanceolate and ovate, acute, a foot long, undulated, quite 
entire, at first erect, then spreading; root and flowers white ; 
segments of the calyx lanceolate, linear, acuminated ; segments 
of corolla acute. 2.H. Native of Spain, Switzerland, Italy, 
&c. Bertol. el. pl. hort. bon. 1824. p. 6. M. officinalis, Mill. 
dict. no. 1. fig. t. 173. M. acafilis, Gaertn. fruct. 2. p. 236. 
t. 131. f. 1. M. vernàlis, Spreng. A'tropa Mandrágora, Lin. 
spec. 259. Bull. herb. t. 145.—Plenk. off. t. 126. Corolla 
bluish. Fruit as large as a nutmeg, of a yellowish green 
colour when ripe. Root white, fleshy, usually bifid, 3-4 feet 
long. The roots are supposed to bear a resemblance to the 
human form, and are figured as such in old herbals, being 
distinguished into the male with a long beard, and the female 
with a prolix head of hair. It has been fabled to grow 
under a gallows, where the matter falling from the dead 
body gave the root the shape of a man ; to utter a shriek or 
groans at digging up; and it was asserted that he who would 
take up a plant of Mandrake should in common prudence tie a 
dog to it for that purpose, for if a man should do it himself he 
would surely die soon after, ex Linnsus. The whole plant is 
reputed poisonous, though in small doses it was used medicinally, 
and particularly as an opiate. 
Officinal or Common Mandrake. 
1548. Pl. 1 foot. 
2 M. rx E'cox (Sweet, fl. gard. t. 198.) leaves lanceolate-oblong, 
obtuse, undulated, bullately wrinkled, villously pubescent, rising 
at the same time with the flowers ; calycine segments lanceolate, 
acute, keeled; segments of corolla spreadingly reflexed, acute ; 
scapes aggregate. 2/4. H. Native of Switzerland. A'tropa 
Mandrágora, 8, Lam. dict. 1. p. 391. Pers. ench. 1. p. 218. 
A'tropa Mandrágora femina, Bull. herb. t. 146. M. officinàlis, 
. D. C. fl. fr. no. 2689.—Hall. helv. no. 578. Corolla 
woolly, of a yellowish-brown, tinged with blue. This plant 
flowers two months earlier than M. vernàlis, Spreng., and is 
also much smaller. 
Early Mandrake. 
foot. 
3 M. avruuxNA'Lis (Bertol. el. pl. hort. bon. 1820. p. 6. D. 
Don, in Sweet, fl. gard. n. s. t. 325.) leaves oblong, pilose, 
wrinkled, undulated, beset with warty bristles on the upper sur- 
face, as well as the calyx; calycine segments lanceolate, acu- 
minated, keeled from the midrib ; corolla spreading, with ellip- 
tic, obtuse segments; berry oblong, mucronate. )/. H. Native 
of the South of Italy ; and Greece, about Athens and Elis, and 
is likewise found in some of the Islands of the Archipelago. 
A'tropa Mandrágora, Sibth. et Smith, fl. graee. 3. p. 26. t. 232. 
M. maerocárpa, Bertol. Scapes pale purple, shorter than the 
leaves. Corolla violet-coloured, not unlike those of a species 
of Campanula. This plant is chiefly distinguished from M. 
vernalis in the blunt lobes of the corolla, and the oblong pointed 
berry. It is, moreover, altogether a larger plant. This is pro- 
Blackw. t. 
Fl. May, June. Clt. 
Fl. March, April. Clt. 1819. Pl. i 
2 
IX. MANDRAGORA. 
X. ATROPA. 455 
bably the Mandrake mentioned in the Scriptures, in the 30th 
chapter of Genesis. 
Autumnal Mandrake. Fl. Dec. Clt. 1548. Pl. 3 foot. 
Cult. The species of Mandrake thrive best in a deep light 
soil, in a shady situation. They are only to be increased by 
seed. The roots are extremely apt to rot during winter. 
X. A'TROPA (from arporoc, atropos, one of the destinies ; 
derived from a priv.; and rperw, trepo, to turn; in refer- 
ence to the poisonous effects of the species.) Lin. gen. no. 249. 
Schreb. gen. no. 335. Juss. gen. 125. ed. Usteri, p. 140. 
Gaertn. fruct. 2. p. 240. t. 131. Lam. ill. t. 114. f. 9. H. B. 
et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 3. p. 11.—Belladónna, Tourn. inst. 
t. 13. 
Lin. syst.  Pentàndria, Monogynia. Calyx loose, 5-cleft, 
permanent. Corolla campanulate ; limb usually 5-cleft, rarely 
10-cleft, spreading. Stamens 5, generally exserted, conniving 
at the base; anthers dehiscing lengthwise. Stigma peltately 
depressed. Berry globose, propped by the permanent spreading 
calyx ; placentas free, and distant from the dissepiment. Seeds 
numerous, reniform.—Caulescent shrubs or herbs. Leaves scat- 
tered, twin, entire. Peduncles extra-axillary, 1-2, or many- 
flowered. Corolla violaceous or greenish, 
§ 1. Limb of corolla 10-cleft or 10-toothed ; the alternate lobes 
or teeth smaller. 
1 A, vinipirrógA (H. B. et 
Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 3. p. 
11. t. 196.) stem suffruticose, 
twining; leaves twin, elliptic- 
ovate, subacuminated, quite en- 
tire, hairy ; peduncles 2-flow- 
ered ; flowers,  drooping ; 
limb of corolla 10-cleft. h. 
^, S. Native of New Gra- 
nada, between the town of 
Pasto and Chilanquer, at the 
altitude of 850  hexapods. 
A'tropa flexuósa, Willd. rel. ex 
Rom. et Schultes, syst. 4. p. 
686. Corolla tubularly funnel- 
shaped, green, 3-4 times longer 
than the calyx, hairy, furnished 
with 5 tubercles on the outside 
at the base. Filaments gla- 
brous, dilated at the base. This and A. dspera of Ruiz. et Pav. 
might probably form a distinct genus. 
Green-flowered Deadly Nightshade. Shrub twining. 
2 A. a’sprra (Ruiz. et Pav. 2. p. 45.) stem herbaceous, an- 
gular, pilose ; leaves twin, unequal, oval-oblong and lanceolate, 
quite entire or subsinuated, hairy ; peduncles 1-flowered, droop- 
ing; limb of corolla 10-cleft. %. S. Native of Peru, on hills 
about Lima. Stem dichotomous, branched.  Peduncles extra- 
axillary, or in the forks of the stem. Corolla yellowish-blue, 
violaceous in the centre, with 5 of the segments acute, and the 
alternating 5 emarginate. Filaments hairy, violaceous. 
white, size of a pea. Seeds red. 
Rough Deadly Nightshade. Pl. 2 feet. 
3 A. HIRTE'LLA (Spreng. syst. 1. p. 699.) herbaceous ; leaves 
ovate, acute, scabrous; branches rough; peduncles elongated, 
1-flowered, filiform. ©.H. Native of Brazil. 
Hairy Deadly Nightshede. PI. ? 
FIG. 39. 
Berry 
§ 2. Limb of corolla 5-cleft. 
4 A. UMBELLATA (Ruiz. et Pav. fl. per. 2. p. 44. t. 181. f. a.) 
Stems frutescent. 
