Hyoscyamus muticus
Hyoscyamus muticus, commonly known as Henbane, is a powerful medicinal plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. Native to Africa and parts of Asia, it contains potent alkaloids like hyoscyamine. While used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal spasms and respiratory issues, its extreme toxicity requires careful, expert handling and administration.
- Scientific name: Hyoscyamus muticus
- Family: Solanaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Solanales and the family Solanaceae. Finally, it is classified under the genus Hyoscyamus.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Solanales | WCVP |
| Family | Solanaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Hyoscyamus | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Hyoscyamus muticus, is recognized by various common names depending on the language and region. In German, it is referred to as Ägyptisches Bilsenkraut, while in Arabic, it is called بنج مصري. This same name is also used in the Egyptian Arabic dialect as بنج مصرى. Furthermore, in Chinese, it is identified as 埃及天仙子 (also written as 埃及天仙子 in simplified Chinese characters).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| de | Ägyptisches Bilsenkraut | Wikidata |
| ar | بنج مصري | Wikidata |
| zh | 埃及天仙子 | Wikidata |
| arz | بنج مصرى | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 埃及天仙子 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 埃及天仙子 | Wikidata |
| ar | بنج ابيض | Wikidata |
| ar | سكران | Wikidata |
| ar | بنج صفاري | Wikidata |
| ar | فلزلز | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is native to the diverse landscapes of Northern Africa. Its presence can be found spanning across the territory of Algeria. It also grows throughout various regions of Egypt and Libya. Furthermore, the species is distributed within the borders of Morocco. Finally, its geographical range extends into the territory of Western Sahara.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Algeria | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Libya | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Morocco | WCVP |
| Northern Africa | Western Sahara | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mauritania | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Niger | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Chad | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Sudan-South Sudan | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known as Henbane, contains potent medicinal compounds distributed throughout its various structures. The roots serve as a significant source of alkaloids, which are heavily utilized in pharmacological applications. Above the ground, the leaves are broad and serve as the primary site for photosynthesis and chemical synthesis. Interestingly, the plant is characterized by the presence of hairy root clones, which are specialized structures used in biotechnology to facilitate the large-scale production of its bioactive secondary metabolites.- Total parts
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hairy root clones | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Hyoscyamus muticus has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include scopolamine, hyoscyamine, tropane alkaloid, atropine, littorine.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 10
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| scopolamine | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| hyoscyamine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tropane alkaloid | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| atropine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| littorine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tropic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |