![]() It pictures a young, beautiful Venetian “belladonna” who may have used atropine drops to dilate the pupils of her eyes to enhance their beauty. This perennial has reddish purple to greenish purple flowers and purple-black berries. There is a painting, “Woman with a Mirror” by the Renaissance painter, Titian, that hangs in the Louvre Museum. Belladonna nightshade ( Atropa belladonna ), also known as deadly nightshade or enchanter’s nightshade, is oftentimes seen planted in gardens but, in some cases, this nightshade member can get out of hand or may simply be in need of removal for safety reasons. The species epithet comes from the Italian word “belladonna” for beautiful woman, a reference to this plants’ use by Venetian ladies of the court who dilated their pupils with a tincture of belladonna eye-drops. ![]() The genus name of belladonna is a derivation of Atropos, meaning “inexorable” or “inflexible,” the Fate that severs the thread of life. Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis measures and allots the length of one’s life, and Atropos severs it. In Greek mythology, the three Fates (Moirai) were responsible for spinning, measuring the length of human life, and ending it. ![]() When Linnaeus formally applied a scientific name to this plant in 1753, he acknowledged its toxic nature as well as its social value. This extremely poisonous plant has a long and colorful history of use and abuse. The original range of Atropa belladonna was from southern Europe to Asia but today is naturalized in many parts of the world. ![]()
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