Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Alruin, Mandrake, Devil's apples

Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)

Synonym: Mandragora officinalis

Distribution: N Italy, Croatia

Life form: Perennial

Comments: Medieval Plants Tour - Mandrake is also known as Mandragora, from the Persian mardum-giâ or ‘man plant’. This is because the root strongly resembles a human being. People used to think that the mandrake had two sexes, just like human beings. The male plant had large, smooth leaves on a stalk, like Swiss chard; the female plant had lighter leaves, like lettuce. The plant was also thought to scream hideously when it was pulled out of the ground. Medieval books show how you should harvest mandrake: you tie a dog to the root, stand at a distance, cover your ears with your hands and call the dog, which will pull up the plant. In the Middle Ages mandrake was associated with evil: the devil was supposed to live in the roots and they could cause people harm. But the plant also had useful characteristics. The Dominican friar Albertus Magnus described its advantages and disadvantages.