Belladonna Research Paper

Atropa Belladonna, meaning beautiful lady is an infamously deadly plant. Belladonna has been called the celebrity nightshade. In accordance to the true celebrity nightshade it is, Belladonna has many names. Belladonna’s alternatively known names range from Thorn Apple, Devil’s Cherries, and Great Morel, to its more conspicuously self-evident name; Deadly Nightshade. Discordantly the cognomen used to give the plant its most commonly used name today, is of Italian origin. While Atropa Belladonna has many names and can be found in different parts of the world it has a lethal composition, severe side effects and many medicinal uses.

Belladonna, a member of the solanaceae family, is the most infamous berry amongst the nightshades. Belladonna sprouts a berry with the appearance to be so enticingly sweet and beautiful. The very name alone is cause to spike curiosity in any observer, or auditor. Contrary to the alluring common name, this plant, in its entirety is poisonous; all parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids. Unlike other members of the nightshade family that are commonly consumed such as tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, paprika, hot and sweet

Belladonna prefers to thrive in areas that humans consider to be filthy, such as wasteland, garbage composts and old quarries. Belladonna has conceived a plant adaptation that is quite different from the sunny energy required for the growth of many flowers. In shaded environments the flowers can grow as a “tall man”, but in areas when sunlight is more generously supplied the plant has become “dwarfed” (British Homeopathic Association para 3-6). Once again adding to the strange characteristics of this plant; the taller it grows the more poisonous it becomes. This is because the more sunlight the flower receives the higher in alkaloid concentration it