American mandrake ( Podophyllum peltatum) is an entirely different plant belonging to the barberry family and should not be confused with the poisonous European mandrake which is a member of the Solanaceae family.In the Odyssey, the Greek enchantress Circe used Mandragora in a brew to turn Odysseus’ men into swine.40-90) was the first to describe the early use of mandrake as an anesthetic used to numb and sedate patients. In the Middle Ages, it was believed mandrake could only be uprooted in moonlight by a dog attached to the base of the plant by a rope, otherwise a person would go insane from the plant’s screams.Known for its own potent medicinal properties, it should not be confused with the European mandrake plant. Podophyllum peltatum is also known as American mandrake or mayapple. Mandrake is a powerful narcotic, emetic, sedative, and hallucinogen its poisons can easily lead to death. It was used as a soporific (sleep inducing) and pain-killing plant for many hundreds of years. Mandrake contains the powerful tropane alkaloids scopolamine, hyoscyamine, atropine, and mandragorine, which have an intense affect on the central nervous system. It is no wonder then, that mandrake came to be considered the Viagra of the middle world! There are references in Genesis and the Song of Solomon where the scent of mandrake’s yellow fruits are described as having aphrodisiac properties. liverwort, toothroot) are used to cure ailments of that part of the body. The medieval mind believed in the “Doctrine of Signatures,” a belief system where herbs that resembled certain parts of the body (e.g. To some, the roots resemble either the male or the female body.
It is called mandrake because the large taproot can appear to look like the human form. The concept of “Doctrine of Signatures” is evident in this medieval manuscript where mandrake appears as either mandrake man or woman.
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