Английская Википедия:Hyoscyamus muticus
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Speciesbox
Hyoscyamus muticus, the Egyptian henbane, is a shrub in the family of Solanaceae that is native to desert areas of North Africa. It contains alkaloids that are useful in pharmaceuticals. It is used locally as a painkiller and a recreational drug. In high dosages it can be fatal.
General
Hyoscyamus muticus, commonly known as Egyptian henbane, is native to Sub-Saharan Africa from Mauritania to Sudan and is also found in Saudi Arabia and the eastern Mediterranean. It grows in arid rocky localities, wadis and plains. The wild plants are used in traditional local medicine. It is sometimes cultivated in countries such as Egypt, Pakistan and India for its medicinal alkaloids, which may be exported to countries such as Germany.Шаблон:Sfn Ernest Ayscoghe Floyer (1852–1903) successfully cultivated Hyoscyamus muticus to obtain the alkaloid hyoscyamine.Шаблон:Sfn
Description
Egyptian henbane is a perennial herb or shrub with a height of up to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn It is a stout succulent, with long stems that have many branches in their upper parts. The lower leaves are broad, while the upper leaves are narrower. The flowers are formed in dense inflorescences up to Шаблон:Convert long. They have white or green corolla and upper lips in deep purple-violet. The fruit is a capsule.Шаблон:Sfn
Medical effects
The leaves are high in alkaloids including scopolamine, which is used in pharmaceuticals. When released slowly, scopolamine reduces the nausea of motion sickness or post-operative recovery. In eye drops it dilates the pupils and paralyzes the focusing muscles, which is useful in optical surgery.Шаблон:Sfn The roasted seeds are used to make an intoxicating drink, and the leaves are smoked for their intoxicating effect, and to relieve the symptoms of asthma. The leaves may also be applied as a poultice to relieve pain.Шаблон:Sfn
The plant is toxic in higher doses, and deaths have been reported from eating locusts that had eaten Egyptian henbane. The Tuareg people use it as a fish poison.Шаблон:Sfn An overdose causes symptoms such as an extremely dry throat, constipation, a rapid pulse, blurred vision, excitement, hallucinations, delirium and death. The wives of the Roman emperors Augustus and Claudius used the plant as a poison to eliminate rivals.Шаблон:Sfn In February 1881 the survivors of the Flatters Expedition were approached by a group of Tuaregs who sold them milk, meat and dates at a high price. The dates turned out to be poisoned with a substance that caused dizziness and psychosis.Шаблон:Sfn This came from the plant called Falezlez by the Tuaregs and El Bettina by the Arabs (Hyoscyamus falezlez).Шаблон:Sfn The effect was to induce a burning sensation in the victims' lungs, and to cause them to rush about madly and fire off their guns.Шаблон:Sfn
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