64 FLORA HOMM@OPATHICA. 
lurid aspect, indicative of its deadly narcotic quality. The stem 
is herbaceous, upright, round, somewhat hairy, and reddish, 
three feet high. The Jeaves, which it is particularly important 
to distinguish accurately, are sometimes alternate, more com- 
monly in pairs, in which case, one leaf of each pair is for the 
most part less than the other. They are ovate and acuminated, 
between four and six inches long, or even larger, thin, and soft, 
entire on the edge, without any hair, except on the nerves be- 
hind, and supported on a short leaf-stalk; and when dry they 
have a brownish-green or greyish-green colour; scarcely any 
odour; of a faint, bitterish taste. The Jlowers are nearly an inch 
in length, solitary, axillary, bell-shaped; greenish towards the 
flower-stalk externally, dingy purple towards the rim and inter- 
nally. The fruit is a dark black, shining berry, resting on a 
widely-extended calyx, roundish, but flattened appearance, and 
size of a black cherry ; bilocular, and containing many kidney- 
shaped seeds, in a mucilaginous, mawkish, rather sweet, but not 
pleasantly-tasted pulp. 
The leaves have been sometimes confounded with those of 
the Solanum Dulcamara and Solanum nigrum. 
Those of the Dulcamara are considerably smaller, are sup- 
ported on a leaf-stalk, often half as long nearly as themselves, 
and generally present a pair of small pinne at a short distance 
from their base. 
Those of the Solanum nigrum are small, not acuminated, and 
their edges coarsely serrated. 
The name is derived from Atropos, one of the Fates, and 
Belladonna, because it was employed by Leucota, a famous 
poisoner of Italy, to destroy the beautiful women. 
The following are the different species : 
1. Atropa Belladonna, as described above, 
2. Atropa Mandragora or Mandrake. A native of the south 
of Europe. Stemless 3 scapes one-flowered 
large, and tapering ; three or four 
_ internally whitish; from the cr 
3 root perennial, 
feet long; externally brown, 
wn of the root arise a circle 
