Hyoscyameae is an

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

of the subfamily

Solanoideae Solanoideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Solanaceae, and is sister to the subfamily Nicotianoideae. Within Solanaceae, Solanoideae contains some of the most economically important genera and species, such as the tomato (''Solanum ...

of the

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

family

Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...

. It comprises seven genera: ''

Anisodus ''Anisodus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. Habitat It is native to China, Tibet, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Medicinal uses One species, ''Anisodus tanguticus'' (), is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditiona ...

'', ''

Atropa ''Atropa'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae: tall, calcicole, herbaceous perennials (rhizomatous hemicryptophytes), bearing large leaves and glossy berries particularly dangerous to children, due to their combi ...

'', ''

Atropanthe ''Atropanthe'' (Chinese (language), Chinese name 天蓬子 ''tian peng zi'') is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of subfamily Solanoideae of the family Solanaceae. The single species, ''Atropa ...

'', ''

Hyoscyamus ''Hyoscyamus'' — known as the henbanes — is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It comprises 31 species, all of which are toxic. It, along with other genera in the same family, is a source of the drug hyoscyamine ...

'', ''

Physochlaina ''Physochlaina'' is a small genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, found principally in the north-western provinces of China (and regions adjoining these in the Himalaya and Central Asia) al ...

'', ''

Przewalskia ''Przewalskia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. Its native range is western and central China, Tibet to eastern Himalaya. The genus name of ''Przewalskia'' is in honour of Nikolay Przhevalsky Nikolay Mi ...

'' and ''

Scopolia ''Scopolia'' is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae, native to Europe and Asia. The genus is named after Giovanni Scopoli (1723–88), a Tyrolean naturalist. The genus has a disjunct distribution, with two recog ...

''. The genera ''Atropanthe'' and ''Przewalskia'' are monotypic, the first being endemic to China and the second to Tibet. All seven genera of the tribe are poisonous and have a long tradition of use as medicinal plants, being rich in

tropane alkaloids Tropane alkaloids are a class of bicyclic .2.1alkaloids and secondary metabolites that contain a tropane ring in their chemical structure. Tropane alkaloids occur naturally in many members of the plant family Solanaceae. Certain tropane alkaloi ...

with

anticholinergic Anticholinergics (anticholinergic agents) are substances that block the action of the acetylcholine (ACh) neurotransmitter at synapses in the central nervous system, central and peripheral nervous system. These agents inhibit the parasympatheti ...

properties. Furthermore, the genera ''Atropa'', ''Hyoscyamus'', ''Scopolia'' and ''Physochlaina'' have furnished

entheogens Entheogens are psychoactive substances used in spiritual and religious contexts to induce altered states of consciousness. Hallucinogens such as the psilocybin found in so-called "magic" mushrooms have been used in sacred contexts since ancien ...

- the first three in the historical context of

European witchcraft European witchcraft can be traced back to classical antiquity, when magic and religion were closely entwined. During the Ancient Roman religion, pagan era of ancient Rome, there were laws against harmful magic. After Christianization#Roman Empir ...

and, more specifically, of the

flying ointment Flying ointment is a hallucinogenic ointment said to have been used by witches in the practice of European witchcraft from at least as far back as the Early Modern period, when detailed recipes for such preparations were first recorded and whe ...

s employed in such practices, while the similar chemistry of the remaining genera points to the potential for entheogenic use. Six of the genera have dry, pyxidial fruits i.e. capsules dehiscing by an operculum and thus resembling a pot with a lid. The fruit of the remaining genus ''Atropa'' is a glossy, juicy berry, making ''Atropa'' species especially dangerous poisonous plants, since - unlike other Hyoscyameae - their attractive fruits may easily be mistaken for edible berries, particularly by children - as has frequently occurred in the case of ''

Atropa belladonna ''Atropa bella-donna'', commonly known as deadly nightshade or belladonna, is a toxic perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. It is native to Europe and Western Asia, i ...

'', the infamous Deadly Nightshade. An eighth genus referable to Hyoscyameae remained unresolved until 2020: the poorly-known, monotypic genus '' Pauia'' contained the single species '' Pauia belladonna'' Deb and Dutta native to

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

and

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...

. The late Professor

Armando Theodoro Hunziker Armando Theodoro Hunziker (29 August 1919 – 12 December 2001) was an Argentine botanist. He specialized in the study of systems biology of the family Solanaceae, and contributed with a large number of investigations and publications. Bi ...

, one of the foremost authorities on the Solanaceae, was of the opinion that ''Pauia'' should be subsumed in ''Atropa''. The plant resembles the Indian ''

Atropa acuminata ''Atropa acuminata'', also known as maitbrand or Indian belladonna, is a close relative of deadly nightshade of Europe and North Africa and, like it, is an extremely poisonous plant valued in medicine for its richness in tropane alkaloids with ...

'', but differs from it most markedly in bearing a berry that, unlike those of other ''Atropa'' species, is not globose but oblong in shape, somewhat resembling that edible Solanaceous fruit the

Goji Goji, goji berry, or wolfberry () is the sweet fruit of either ''Lycium barbarum'' or ''Lycium chinense'', two closely related species of boxthorn in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. ''L. barbarum'' and ''L. chinense'' fruits are ...

. In 2020, the species was reclassified into genus ''Atropa'' as '' Atropa indobelladonna''.

Gallery

File:HYOSCYAMUS NIGER - MONTGARRI - IB-461 (Herba queixalera).JPG, Pyxidial fruits of black henbane ''

Hyoscyamus niger Henbane (''Hyoscyamus niger'', also black henbane and stinking nightshade) is a poisonous plant belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of the nightshade family ''Solanaceae''. Henbane is native to temperate Europe and Siberia, and naturalised in Great B ...

'' File:239 Hyoscyamus niger L.jpg, Anatomy of ''Hyoscyamus niger'' showing dissected pyxidium etc. File:04-12 Silifke 11 Hyoscyamus aureus 1.jpg, Golden henbane ''Hyoscyamus aureus'' single flower File:Hyoscyamus aureus on Shuni wall b RJP.jpg, ''Hyoscyamus aureus'' in flower and fruit File:Hyoscyamus muticus 02.JPG, Egyptian Henbane ''Hyoscyamus muticus'' single flower interior File:Hyoscyamus muticus 01.JPG, ''Hyoscyamus muticus'' plant in flower and fruit File:שיכרון מרושת פרחים.jpg, ''Hyoscyamus reticulatus'' flowers in close-up File:Hyoscyamus reticulatus kz01.jpg, ''Hyoscyamus reticulatus'' flowering plant growth habit File:Atropa belladonna 220605.jpg, Flower of ''

'' in close-up, showing curled stamens File:Atropa belladonna Prague 2011 3.jpg, ''Atropa belladonna'' in fruit : ripe and unripe berries File:Atropa belladonna 004.JPG, ''Atropa belladonna'' ripe berry in close-up File:Illustration Atropa bella-donna0.jpg, Anatomy of ''Atropa belladonna'' flower and berry File:Atropa baetica Willk..JPG, Botanical illustration of ''

Atropa baetica ''Atropa'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae: tall, calcicole, herbaceous perennials (rhizomatous hemicryptophytes), bearing large leaves and glossy berries particularly dangerous to children, due to their combi ...

'', Andalusian belladonna File:IMG 5018 Scopolia carniolica Jacq.jpg, ''

Scopolia carniolica ''Scopolia carniolica'', the European scopolia or henbane bell, is a poisonous plant belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. It bears dark brownish-violet nodding flowers on long, slender pedicels. It grows to in heig ...

'': two flowers in close-up, showing unripe anthers - yet to dehisce. File:Scopolia carniolica Prague 2012 1.jpg, ''

'' in flower File:Scopolia carniolica - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-263.jpg, Anatomy of ''Scopolia carniolica'', showing pyxidium etc. File:Scopolia carniolica pyxidium dehiscence brightened image.jpg, ''Scopolia carniolica'': fruiting calyx dissected to reveal dehiscence of ripe pyxidium. File:Scopolia carniolica — Flora Batava — Volume v16.jpg, Rhizome of ''Scopolia carniolica'' File:미치광이풀.JPG, ''

Scopolia japonica ''Scopolia japonica'', also Japanese belladonna or Korean scopolia, is a flowering plant species in the genus '' Scopolia'' - one of the eight genera in tribe Hyoscyameae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. The coumarins umbelliferone and sco ...

'' (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: 走りどころ ''Hashiri-dokoro'') in flower File:Scopolia japonica-06.JPG, Single flower of ''Scopolia japonica'' showing dehiscence of ripe anthers File:Anisodus tanguticus1.jpg, ''

Anisodus tanguticus ''Anisodus tanguticus (ཐང་ཕྲོམ་ནག་པོ། in Tibetan) '' is a species of flowering plant belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of subfamily Solanoideae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. It is thus closely related to Hyoscyamus ...

'', showing interior of flower File:Anisodus luridus (18345472548).jpg, Flower and foliage of ''Anisodus luridus'' File:Physochlaina orientalis 04.jpg, Flowers of ''

Physochlaina orientalis ''Physochlaina'' is a small genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, found principally in the north-western provinces of China (and regions adjoining these in the Himalaya and Central Asia) al ...

'' File:View of interior of ripe fruiting calyx of Physochlaina orientalis (M. Bieb.) G. Don, showing pyxidial capsule.jpg, Interior of pyxidium of ''Physochlaina orientalis'' File:Ripe,fruiting calyces of Physochlaina orientalis (M.Bieb) G.Don.jpg, Ripe fruits of ''Physochlaina orientalis'', showing nodding growth habit File:Physochlaina physaloides F. Sansom Curtis’s botanical magazine 1805, brightened.jpg, ''Physochlaina physaloides'' foliage and inflorescence (Curtis's botanical magazine) File:Bisected fruiting calyx and separate operculum of Physochlaina physaloides.jpg, Dissected fruit of ''Physochlaina physaloides'' with detached operculum File:Physochlaina praealta Lake Manasarovar (image cropped and brightened).jpg, ''Physochlaina praealta'' foliage and inflorescence

References

Solanoideae Deliriants Asterid tribes {{Solanales-stub