Mandrake

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Europe, India, Belgium, SE

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Anesthetic, Asthma, Cough, Hypnotic

Science studied: ALKALOIDS, ATROPINE, CUSCOHYGRINE, FAT

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Solanaceae

Scientific name: Mandragora officinarum

Common names: Mandrake, Alraunwurzel, Alrune, Alruun, Echte Alraune (DE); Mandrake (EN), Gemeine Alraune, Mandragore officinale, Mediterranean mandrake, alruna, autumn mandrake, mandragora lekarska, mandragora lekárska, mandragora lékařská, mandragora primaverile, mandragore, mandrake

POWO: 816733-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, Europe, India, Belgium, SE.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Anesthetic
• Asthma
• Cough
• Hypnotic
• Mydriatic
• Narcotic
• Poison
• Sedative

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• Europe
• India
• Belgium
• SE

Documented cultural uses

• Anesthetic
• Asthma
• Cough
• Hypnotic
• Mydriatic
• Narcotic
• Poison
• Sedative
• Tumor
• Hayfever

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Anesthetic · Elsewhere · "
• Asthma · Europe · "
• Cough · Europe · "
• Hypnotic · Elsewhere · "
• Mydriatic · Elsewhere · "
• Narcotic · India · "
• Poison · Europe · "
• Sedative · Elsewhere · "
• Tumor · Europe · "
• Hayfever · Europe · "
• Tumor · Belgium · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Simultaneous quantification of hyoscyamine and scopolamine using HPLC-DAD in four Solanaceae: <i>Hyoscyamus niger, Datura stramonium, Atropa belladonna</i> and <i>Mandragora officinarum</i>. · 2023 source ↗
• New withanolides from Mandragora officinarum: first report of withanolides from the Genus Mandragora. · 2010 source ↗
• [Herbal research of uigurian drug Mandragora officinarum]. · 1997 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ALKALOIDS
• ATROPINE
• CUSCOHYGRINE
• FAT
• MANDRAGORINE
• NORHYOSCYAMINE
• SCOPINE
• SCOPOLETIN
• SCOPOLINE
• TROPIC-ACID
• PROTEIN
• 3-ALPHA-TIGLOYLOXYTROPANE
• APOATROPINE
• CHRYSATROPIC-ACID
• HYOSCYAMINE
• SCOPOLAMINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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