''Circaea lutetiana'', known as broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade, is a

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

in the evening primrose family,

Onagraceae The Onagraceae are a family of flowering plants known as the willowherb family or evening primrose family. They include about 650 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees Circe In Greek mythology, Circe (; ) is an enchantress, sometimes considered a goddess or a nymph. In most accounts, Circe is described as the daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perse (mythology), Perse. Circe was renowned for her vast kn ...

of Greek mythology and the specific designation is derived from

Lutetia Lutetia, ( , ; ) also known as and ( ; ; ), was a Gallo-Roman culture, Gallo–Roman town and the predecessor of modern-day Paris. Traces of an earlier Neolithic settlement () have been found nearby, and a larger settlement was established ...

, the Latin name for Paris, which was sometimes referred to as the "Witch City". Despite its name it is not especially toxic, but contains a lot of the

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin '' adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by t ...

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...

Description

''Circaea lutetiana'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

with opposite, simple

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

, on slender, green stems. The flowers are white, borne in summer. It grows 20 cm to 60 cm, rarely up to 75 centimeters high. The leaves are rounded or slightly notched at the base, they narrow gradually to the pointed tip and are not strongly toothed, but hav
sinuate
edges. The leaf stalks are equally hairy all round. The flower has 2 notched petals, 2 stamens and a 2-lobed stigma. The open flowers are well spaced along the stalk and there are no bracts at the base of individual flower stalks. The fruit consists of 2 equal cells, and usually sets seed. The flower stalks become angled downwards before fruiting. The fruit is a small

bur A bur (also spelled burr) is a seed or dry fruit or infructescence that has hooks or teeth. The main function of the bur is to spread the seeds of the bur plant, often through epizoochory. The hooks of the bur are used to latch onto fur or f ...

of 3.5-5mm which aids the plant's dispersal via

zoochory In spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors, ...

. In winter the aerial parts die off leaving an underground

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

. ''

Circaea alpina ''Circaea alpina'', commonly called alpine enchanter's nightshade, small enchanter's nightshade, or dwarf enchanter's nightshade is a 10–30 cm tall perennial herb found in cool forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Description The leaves ar ...

'' will hybridize with ''Circaea lutetiana'' producing sterile offspring that persists in vegetative colonies.

Distribution

The plant is native to Europe, Middle Asia, and Siberia. North American populations are now considered to be a separate species, ''

Circaea canadensis ''Circaea canadensis'', known as eastern enchanter's nightshade, Canada enchanter's nightshade, broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems ab ...

''. It grows in woods in deep shade and moist environments on nitrogen-containing clay.

Gardening

It is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant. It prefers a shaded position in rich, moist soil. The

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

'Caveat Emptor' has leaves that are heavily mottled pink.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q163955 lutetiana Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Medicinal plants