With use documented as early as the 15th century B.C.E., mandrake is mentioned in ancient texts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Roman and Greek Empires. RELATED: Best Kratom Powder Of 2022 Mandrake Root In Early Modern History And Culture Some sources even posit the existence of “male” and “female” mandrakes. The large and tuberous mandrake taproot, which can reach up to two feet in length, is often forked, a feature that occasionally makes it look humanoid in form. Native to the Mediterranean, the mandrake root has large rosette leaves and produces violet flowers and small berries, which were reportedly eaten cooked or raw as a delicacy. (Tobacco, a poisonous plant that has also been utilized as a ceremonial and cash crop, is another famous family member.)īoth the toxic mayapple ( Podophyllum peltatum), which is native to North America, is sometimes called the American mandrake, but is not the same species as Mandragora officinarum. This family contains some of humanity’s most beloved food crops, like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, as well as some of its most poisonous, like deadly nightshade, jimsonweed, belladonna, and henbane. The mandrake root is part of the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshades. RELATED: Do Shrooms Show Up On A Drug Test? All In The Family Why does mandrake root continue to enthrall us in both fiction and reality, and what are safe ways to work with this evocative plant? While it is not commonly used medically now, interest has risen in the mandrake as a magical, poisonous, and potentially psychoactive plant. Documented use hails back to Antiquity, when it was used as a weapon, a surgical anesthetic, a fertility treatment, and an aphrodisiac. The storied mandrake root has deep roots in our collective imagination. And, a plant that most people know about from Harry Potter. A poisonous plant that supposedly utters a deathly scream when you pull it, draws a beloved to you, protects you from demonic influences, and can bring inner peace. Integrative Medicine mandrake mandrake root. Mandrake Root: Healing, Harming, And Magical Properties
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