Atropa Belladonna

1. Atropa belladonna, commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a toxic perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant (aubergine).

 2. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic when ingested, containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins include atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which cause delirium, and hallucinations and are also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics.

3. Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants known, and its use by mouth increases risk in numerous clinical conditions, such as complications of pregnancy, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and psychiatric disorders, among others.

4. The common name belladonna originates from its historic use by women, as belladonna is Italian for "beautiful woman". Drops prepared from the belladonna plant were used to dilate women's pupils, an effect considered to be attractive and seductive.

5. Belladonna has been used in herbal medicine for centuries as a pain reliever, muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatory and to treat menstrual problems, peptic ulcer disease, histaminic reaction and motion sickness. 

6. Atropa belladonna and related plants, such as Datura steam opium (commonly known as jimson weed), have occasionally been used as recreational drugs, because of the vivid hallucinations and delirium they produce. These hallucinations are most commonly described as very unpleasant and recreational use is considered extremely dangerous, because of the high risk of unintentional fatal overdose.

 7. The belladonna plant has white-bell-shaped flowers, an inch and a half in diameter in the shape of the RCA phonograph speaker logo, which distinguishes it from jimson weed.