Atropa belladonna - Suchi, Deadly nightshade

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Atropa belladonna, Suchi

Atropa belladonna commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant (rhizomatous hemicryptophyte) in the Nightshade family (which includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc.) Solanaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.Atropa belladonna has unpredictable effects. The antidote for belladonna poisoning is physostigmine or pilocarpine, the same as for atropine.

Uses

Arthritis, Irritable bowel syndrome, Asthma, Colds, Hay fever, Hemorrhoids, Motion sickness, Nerve problems, Spasms, Whooping cough.

Parts Used

Leaves, Root, tops

Chemical Composition

Tender shoots of alfalfa are reported to contain per 100 g 52 calories, 82.7% moisture, 6 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 9.5 g total carbohydrate, 3.1 g fiber, 1.4 g ash, 12 mg Ca, 51 mg P, 5.4 mg Fe, 3410 IU Vit A, 0.13 mg thiamine, 0.14 mg riboflavin, 0.5 mg niacin, and 162 mg ascorbic acid

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	lusarne soppu, vilaayiti hullu
Hindi	lusan ghas
Malayalam
Tamil	kutirai macal
Telugu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	ashvabala
English	Alfalfa, bastard medic

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
simple	dentate	The leaflets are 5-20 mm long and dentate (toothed) at the apex and sometimes at the base

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Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
pale lavender	2-4cm long	violet	6-12 mm long	The flowers are papilionaceous, typical of species

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
loose spiral	A curved or loose spiral seed pod is present		seeds are yellow to brow.n in colour	10 to 20 seed	{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Stem cutting.

How to plant/cultivate

Atropa belladonna is rarely used in gardens, but, when grown, it is usually for its large upright habit and showy berries. Germination of the small seeds is often difficult, due to hard seed coats that cause seed dormancy. Germination takes several weeks under alternating temperature conditions, but can be sped up with the use of gibberellic acid. The seedlings need sterile soil to prevent damping off and resent root disturbance during transplanting.

Commonly seen growing in areas

western Himalayas, open woodland, moisty soil area.

Photo Gallery

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  Medicago sativa

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  M. sativa

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  M. sativa

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  Flowers

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  Yellow flowers

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  Light violet flowers

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  M. sativa var. sativa, mature fruits

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  Seeds (actual size ≈2mm)

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  Lucerne field

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  Bee on alfalfa flower