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<td valign="top" width="50%">Family
Solanaceae (Nightshade Family); Subfamily
Solanoideae, Hyoscyameae Tribe, Hyoscyaminae
Subtribe

Forms and Subspecies
Three to five species are now accepted botanically
in the genus (D'Arcy 1991, 79; Lu 1986, 6). A
number of varieties of Scopolia carniolica have
been described:
Scopolia carniolica Jacq. var. brevifolia Dun.
Scopolia carniolica Jacq. var. carniolica
Scopolia carniolica Jacq. var. concolor Dun.
Scopolia carniolica Jacq. var. hladnikiana
(Fleischm.) Fiori
Scopolia carniolica Jacq. var. longifolia Dun.
A new form that has pure yellow flowers and is
found only in Slovenia (Hladnikov) has recently
been described (Dakshobler 1996):
Scopolia carniolica Jacq. forma hladnikiana

Synonyms
Hyoscyamus scopolia L.
Scopolia hladnikiana Fleischm.
Scopolia longifolia Dun.
Scopolina atropoides Schultes
Scopolina hladnikiana Freyer
Scopolina viridiflora Freyer

Folk Names
Altsitzerkraut, deewa sales, durna rope (Lithuanian,
"crazy root"), glockenbilsenkraut, gotteskraut,
krainer tollkraut, matragun (Romanian),289
mauda, maulda, pikt-rope ("evil root"),290 pometis
ropes ("pometis root"), Russian belladonna, scopolia
(Italian), scopolie, skopolia, skopolie, tollkraut,
tollriibe, volCic, walkenbaum

History
It is uncertain whether scopolia was known to the
authors of antiquity. The "sleeping strychnos"
(Strychnos hypnoticos) of Dioscorides (cf. Solanum
spp.) has sometimes been interpreted as a Scopolia
species (Fuhner 1919,223). The genus was named
for the naturalist Antonio ScopoH (1723-1788),
who was the first to study and describe the flora of
Slovenia (Festi 1996, 35). In Slovenia, the plant
may once have been used to prepare witches'
ointments. In eastern Prussia, the root of the plant
was used as a folk inebriant and aphrodisiac. It is
said that women would use it to persuade young
men to become their willing lovers. Sometimes
some of the root was added to a person's coffee
(Coftea arabica) as a practical joke so that others
could amuse themselves on the seemingly nonsensical
behavior of the inebriated victim (Fuhner
1919).
In the history of pharmaceuticals, Scopolia has
played only a minor role as a substitute or counterfeit
for belladonna root (Atropa belladonna) and
belladonna leaves (Schneider 1974,3:240). Today,
the plant is used in the industrial manufacture of
L-hyoscyamine and atropine (Wagner 1985, 172).

Distribution
The plant occurs wild in the Alps, the Carpathian
Mountains, and the Caucasus Mountains (Gelencir
1983, 217). It also grows in southeastern Europe
(Slovenia), Lithuania, Latvia, and the Ukraine.

Cultivation
Cultivation is very simple. In spring, the seeds are
sown into seedbeds to germinate. Later, the seedlings
can be transplanted to the desired location.
The plant does not tolerate a great deal of exposure
to the sun (Festi 1996, 36), preferring dark,
humid forests and calciferous humus soil. In
Lithuania and Latvia, it has long been planted in
gardens for use as a medicinal plant.

Appearance
This annual plant, which is typically 30 to 60 em in
height but can grow as tall as 80 em, develops a
fleshy, spindle-shaped root. The dull green leaves
resemble those of the belladonna plant (Atropa
belladonna)-hence the name Russian belladonna. The small, pendulous, campanulate flowers are
purple to pale yellow in color and are similar in
shape to henbane flowers (Hyoscyamus albus)hence
the German name glockenbilsenkraut ("bell
henbane"). The plant flowers from April to June.
The fruit develops a capsule with a double partition
and many small seeds.
Scopolia is easily confused with Chinese
scopolia (Scopolia carniolicoides C.W. Wu et C.
Chen) and Japanese scopolia (Scopolia japonica
Maxim.). Scopolia anomala (Link et Otto) Airy
Shaw [syn. Scopolia lurida Dun.], which is native
to Nepal and Sikkim, is about twice as large as the
European scopolia (Weinert 1972).

Psychoactive Material
- Root (rhizoma scopoliae, scopoliae radix,
scopolia root, glockenbilsenkrautwurzel, europaische
scopoliawurzel)
- Herbage (herba et radix scopoliae carniolicae)</td>
<td valign="top" width="53%">Preparation and Dosage
The fresh root, when boiled and grated, can be
eaten as a mush or taken in coffee (Coftea arabica).
It also is added to beer or brewed with it in order
to potentiate its effects (Fuhner 1919,224).
The root and the rootstock (scopoliae radix et
rhizoma) are used. The root is dug up, dried,
and used exactly as the belladonna root. Taste,
color, and appearance are exactly like belladonna.
Many plant collectors confuse the bell
henbane with belladonna [Atropa belladonna],
which is why one always finds scopolia
mixed into belladonna, especially when
the belladonna is from the Carpathians.
(Gelencir 1983,217)
The dried herbage, collected while the plant is
in flower, can be smoked alone or in smoking
blends.Ritual Use
In eastern Prussia, Lithuania, and the Balkans,
scopolia formerly was collected and used in magic
in the same manner as mandrake (Mandragora
officinarum). In the early twentieth century, only rudiments of this ritual use were still being
practiced (Fiihner 1919).Artifacts
See Mandragora officinarum.
Scopolia anomala is depicted on Tibetan
medical thangkas (Aris 1992,67).

Medicinal Use
Scopolia carniolica was used in eastern European
folk medicine in the same manner as Mandragora
officinarum (Schneider 1974,3:240). In Lithuania,
the plant was used to treat rheumatism, gout,
toothaches, colic, and Parkinson's disease; as a
sedative for children and an aphrodisiac; and to
induce abortions (Fiihner 1919,224).
In homeopathy, the essence obtained from the
fresh-blooming herbage is known as Hyoscyamus
scopolia and is used in accordance with the
medical description (Schneider 1974,3:240).

Constituents
The entire plant contains hallucinogenic tropane
alkaloids (Evans 1979, 249). The total alkaloid
content averages around 0.50/0 but can range from
0.3 to 0.80/0 (Fiihner 1919, 223; Roth et al. 1994,
648). The dried leaves contain 0.19% hyoscyamine
and 0.13% scopolamine (Scholten et al.
1989). The root contains approximately 0.50/0 scopolamine
(Gelencir 1983, 218). Also present are
the alkaloids cuscohygrine, tropine, and 3atigloyloxytropane.
Chemotaxonomically, Scopolia
is thus closely related to henbane (Hyoscyamus
spp.) (Evans 1979,249; Zito and Leary 1966). The
alkaloid content of the dried roots can be as high
as 1% (Wagner 1985, 172).
In addition to the alkaloids, the entire plant
also contains the coumarins scopoline and scopoletin
as well as chlorogenic acid (Roth et al. 1994,
648).

Effects
Few documents describing the actual effects of
scopolia are available (Festi 1996). Depending upon
dosages, all preparations are capable of producing psychoactive effects that are very similar to those
produced by henbane. Low doses induce aphrodisiac
sensations, whereas "larger quantities of the
root are inebriating and produce a condition
associated with unpredictable, comic actions"
(Fiihner 1919, 224). High doses have been
observed to produce delirium, loss of awareness of
reality, coma, severe pupillary dilation, headache,
disturbances of coordination, and other symptoms
typical of an overdose of Atropa belladonna.
Smoking the leaves produces only very mild
psychoactive effects that are comparable with
those resulting from smoking Hyoscyamus niger
or Datura stramonium.

Commercial Forms and Regulations
The herbage and roots can sometimes be found in
eastern European herb shops. The seeds are occasionally
available from ethnobotanical specialty
sources.

Literature
See also the entries for coumarins, scopolamine,
scopoletin, and tropane alkaloids.
Dakskobler, Igor. 1996. Hladnikov volCic (Scopolia
carniolica f. hladnikiana) tudi v Zelenem potoku.
Proteus 58:102-3.
Festi, Francesco. 1996. Scopolia carniolica Jacq.
Eleusis 5:34-45.
Fiihner, Hermann. 1919. Scopoliawurzel als Gift und
Heilmittel bei Litauen und Letten. Therapeutische
Monatshefte 33:221-27.
Gelencir, Nikola. 1983. Naturheilkunde des Balkans.
Steyr, Austria: Verlag Wilhem Ennsthaler.
Scholten, H. J., S. Batterman, and J. F. Visser. 1989.
Formation of hyoscyamine in cell cultures of
Scopolia carniolica. Planta Medica 55:230.
Weinert, E. 1972. Zur Taxonomie und Chorologie
der Gattung Scopolia Jacq. Feddes Repertorium 82
(10): 617-28.
Zito, S. W., and J. D. Leary. 1966. Alkaloids of
Scopolia carniolica. Journal ofPharmaceutical
Sciences 55:1150-51.</td>
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Scopolia - Revision history

GrimReaper at 08:13, 11 March 2015