Mandrake
Mandragora officinarumSolanaceae // root · leaves · fruit
Also known as: mandragora
Preparation
Overview
Plant parts
root, leaves, fruit
Known constituents
scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- Principal reported constituents include scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine; broad class: antimuscarinic tropane alkaloids.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
No traditional-use records in this corpus.
Modern evidence
Mandragora species and biblical plant translations are disputed; folklore is often projected backward.
MODERATE · Medicinal plants of the Bible—revisited
Identity/attribution caution.
Safety
Human
- Critical
Safety severity is CRITICAL: anticholinergic delirium, arrhythmia, coma and death
Intrinsic toxicity · HIGH · Medicinal plants of the Bible—revisited
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
Safety severity is CRITICAL: anticholinergic delirium, arrhythmia, coma and death
HIGH · Medicinal plants of the Bible—revisited
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF lists Atropa acaulis Stokes as a taxonomic synonym of Mandragora officinarum.
HIGH · GBIF Species Synonyms API
Common name
mandragora
Traditions
Mediterranean and European medical-magical traditions
Mediterranean and Europe // classical, biblical/late antique, medieval and early modern sources // historical evidence and later folklore
Ethnobotanical
Mandrake is documented in Mediterranean and European medical-magical traditions in Mediterranean and Europe for medicine, fertility, amulets and magical practice.
MODERATE · Medicinal plants of the Bible—revisited
Ritual
Documented functions include healing, protective, symbolic; these functions are tradition-specific and should not be generalized across cultures.
MODERATE · Medicinal plants of the Bible—revisited
Legal
Legal status changes over time and by jurisdiction — this is a dated snapshot, not current law.
International · Checked 2026-08-09
Varies substantially by country; constituent controls and plant-specific controls are not uniform.
State / municipal · Checked 2026-08-09
Material state and municipal variation may apply; verify jurisdiction at time of use.
US Federal · Checked 2026-08-09
Not federally scheduled as a plant; toxic-product and drug laws may apply.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
peer-reviewed article
government/regulatory source
- GBIF Species Synonyms API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database