Trish's Essay on Mandrakes

Mandrakes

Mandrakes are also known as Mandragora officianarum (Solanaceae). Some words synonynous to Mandrakes are Mandragora, Satan's Apple, love apple, Circe's plant, Dudaim, Ladykins, Mannikin, Racoon, Berry and Byrony Roots.

Mandrakes are long-leaved, dark green plants,with small greenish-yellow or purple bell-shaped flowers. The flowers eventually fruit into small orange-coloured fleshy berries with a strong, apple-like scent (From which the synonym Satan's Apple was derived). Mandrakes are best known for their large brown roots running 3-4 feet into the ground. These roots are sometimes single or sometimes forked in two or three distinctive branches giving the plant a resemblance to a human Monster.

Mandrake roots are of two kinds: the male and the female. A female Mandrake carries forked that look like a pair of human legs, whereas the male has only a single root. The female mandrakes are more sought after than males because of their magical and medicinal use. They were carved into manikins during the middle ages in Germany and France.

These plants are native to Southern Europe, especially around the Mediterranean regions of Greece and Rome.They are most commonly confused with Podophyllum peltatum, or mayapple, which grows in the United States.

The first ever accounts of Mandrake existence dates back to the bible. The Ancients, including greeks, romans and celts considered it an anodyne and soporific. The fresh root operates very powerfully as an emetic and purgative. The dried bark of the root was used also as a rough emetic. It had also became the most popular anaesthetic during the Middle Ages and during the Elizabethan Age, it was still being used as a narcotic.

Mandragoras had been believed to be used by witches to make love potions or Flying ointments. Those who possess Mandrake roots stashed them in secret cupboards because if they were found to possess it, they would be accused of witchcraft. Mandrakes, together with a plant called Periwinkle, were believed to have mysterious powers against Demonic possession. It's roots were said to have a power to drive dark earth spirits.

PICTURES:




SOURCE:
http://www.monstrous.com/monsters/mandrake.htm

well done - links in nicely to some antidote questions in potions. 50 house points are awarded to you