Practical
Plants

Mandragora officinarum

Mandrake

a perennial member of the Mandragora genus in the family Solanaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.05 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All parts of the plant are poisonous[3][6]. Only slightly so according to one report[11].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked. A delicacy[11]. The fruit is about the size of a small apple, with a strong apple-like scent[9]. Caution is advised in the use of this fruit, it is quite possibly poisonous[K].

Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Mandrake has a long history of medicinal use, though superstition has played a large part in the uses it has been applied to. It is rarely prescribed in modern herbalism[7], though it contains hyoscine which is the standard pre-operative medication given to soothe patients and reduce bronchial secretions[8]. It is also used to treat travel sickness[8]. The fresh or dried root contains highly poisonous alkaloids and is cathartic, strongly emetic, hallucinogenic and narcotic[9][6][10][4][8]. In sufficient quantities it induces a state of oblivion and was used as an anaesthetic for operations in early surgery[7]. It was much used in the past for its anodyne and soporific properties[9]. In the past, juice from the finely grated root was applied externally to relieve rheumatic pains, ulcers and scrofulous tumours[8]. It was also used internally to treat melancholy, convulsions and mania[8]. When taken internally in large doses, however, it is said to excite delirium and madness[9]. The root should be used with caution, and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[6][7]. See the notes above on toxicity. The leaves are harmless and cooling. They have been used for ointments and other external applications to ulcers etc[9].

Product or use
Cathartic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Hallucinogenic
Product or use
Narcotic

Environment

Range
South-eastern Europe.
Habitat
Open woodland, deserted fields and stony places[6][11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a cold frame in the autumn[2]. The seed can also be sown in spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Root cuttings in winter[5]. Division. This can be rather difficult since the plants resent root disturbance.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a deep humus-rich light soil and a sheltered position in full sun[7]. It also tolerates some shade[5]. Prefers a circumneutral soil[5] and dislikes chalk or gravel[9]. Plants are liable to rot in wet or ill-draining soils[9]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[1]. The roots are somewhat carrot-shaped and can be up to 1.2 metres long[9]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be put out into their permanent positions as soon as possible[2]. The root often divides into two and is vaguely suggestive of the human body. In the past it was frequently made into amulets which were believed to bring good fortune, cure sterility etc[8]. There is a superstition that if a person pulls up this root they will be condemned to hell[8]. Therefore in the past people have tied the roots to the bodies of animals and then used these animals in order to pull the roots out of the soil.

References

  1. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

    ↩

  2. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  3. Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-600-35666-3

    ↩

  4. Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants Studio Vista 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-289-70864-8

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  9. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  10. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  11. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

    ↩1↩2↩3

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