belladonna plant

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belladonna plant

A gardener carefully tends to a belladonna plant in a botanical garden.

Definition

Noun: 1. A poisonous Eurasian perennial herb: A plant with reddish, bell-shaped flowers and glossy black berries. It is cultivated, notably in the United States, for its medicinal and toxic properties, as its roots and leaves are the source of atropine.

Usage and Examples
  • The belladonna plant is easily identified by its distinctive flowers and berries.
  • Pharmacists must handle extracts from the belladonna plant with extreme caution due to their potency.
  • In the garden, the belladonna plant is often grown for its ornamental value, despite its dangerous nature.
Advanced Usage
  • "Deadly nightshade": This is a common name for the belladonna plant, emphasizing its highly toxic properties.
    • Many historical poisonings were attributed to the berries of deadly nightshade, the belladonna plant.
  • In a botanical or pharmacological context, the term specifies the source of important alkaloids.
    • The study focused on the cultivation conditions that optimize alkaloid yield in the belladonna plant.
Variants and Related Words
  • Belladonna (noun): This is the more common short form used to refer to the plant or, especially, to the drug derived from it.
    • The prescription ointment contains a small amount of belladonna.
  • Atropa belladonna (noun): The full scientific (Latin) name for the species.
    • Atropa belladonna belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae.
Synonyms
  • Deadly nightshade (noun): The most common synonym, highlighting its toxicity.
  • Banewort (noun, archaic): An old-fashioned name for the plant.
Notes on Meaning

The term "belladonna plant" specifically denotes the living plant organism. The word "belladonna" alone can be ambiguous, as it can refer either to the plant itself or to the medicinal preparation/extract derived from it. Using "belladonna plant" explicitly clarifies the reference to the botanical specimen.

belladonna plant

A gardener carefully tends to a belladonna plant in a botanical garden.

Noun
  1. perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries; extensively grown in United States; roots and leaves yield atropine

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