Indian Belladonna is a branched herb, up to 1.6 m
tall. Stem and branches are fistular, young shoots minutely velvety.
Leaves are 8-17 cm long, 4.5-8.0 cm wide, elliptic-lanceshaped to
ovate-lanceshaped, long-pointed, wedge-shaped at base. Leaf-stalk is up
to 2 cm long. Sepal cup is 9-15 mm long, up to 2 cm in fruit,
cup-shaped velvety. Sepals are 6-10 mm long, ovate-acute, nearly equal,
persistent. Flowers are 2-2.3 cm long, yellow, petals blunt. Stamens do
not protrude out, anthers are about 3 mm long, oblong, filaments 10-11
mm long. Berry is spherical, 1 cm broad, black when ripe. Indian
Belladonna is found in E. Iran, E. Afghanistan, eastwards to Kashmir,
Mongolia, at altitudes of 1800-3040 m. Flowering: June-July.
Medicinal uses:
All parts of the plant contain the alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine and
bellodonnine, which are used as a sedative, antispasmodic, in
convulsive disorders and as an antidote for poisoning. The black
berries are very poisonous and cause delirium and dilation of the
pupils.
Identification credit: Gurcharan Singh
Photographed in Gulmarg, Kashmir.
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The flower labeled Indian Belladonna is ...