Black Henbane

Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) is a plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to Europe, where it has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. It can grow to about 1 m (3 ft) tall, with leaves covered with sticky hairs and pale yellowish flowers.

Another name for black henbane is fetid nightshade and is particularly known for its psychoactive properties, originating in the alkaloids it contains. Those can cause hallucinations, feelings of beeing lifted from the ground and other altered states of consciousness. Because of this, black henbane was traditionally used in rituals involving travels in the spirit world and metamorphosis (such as lycanthropy), etc.

It is toxic even in small quantities, although accidental intoxication isn’t frequent because of the unpleasant smell of this plant.

The caption reads in the original French: Jusquiame noire (Hyoscyamus niger).