Hyoscyamus
Hyoscyamus — known as the henbanes — is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It comprises 31 species, all of which are toxic. It, along with other genera in the same family, is a source of the drug hyoscyamine. Cruciferous type of stomata are present in Hyoscyamus.
Hyoscyamus means "hog-bean" in botanical Latin and was a name derogatorily applied to the plant by Dioscorides.
The poisonous, narcotic henbanes were associated with witchcraft since earliest times. The Assyrians recommended hanging them on one's door to ward off sorcery. Witches found them valuable especially due to their trance-inducing capabilities, and they were used in flying ointment rituals. They have been used to lessen pain, neuralgia and diminish convulsions. Dioscorides recommended them largely for external pain killing use. The leaves are made into a kind of cigarette to relieve asthma and other respiratory ailments.
Species
31 species are accepted.Hyoscyamus afghanicus – AfghanistanHyoscyamus albus L. - White henbane – Spain and MoroccoHyoscyamus arachnoideus – northern Iraq and Western IranHyoscyamus aureus L. - Golden henbane – Eastern Mediterranean and IraqHyoscyamus bornmuelleri – southern IranHyoscyamus boveanus Asch. & Schweinf. – Egypt and SinaiHyoscyamus coelesyriacus – LebanonHyoscyamus desertorum Täckh. – Syria to Egypt and northeastern Saudi ArabiaHyoscyamus flaccidus – Oman and YemenHyoscyamus gallagheri – OmanHyoscyamus grandiflorus – northern SomaliaHyoscyamus insanus – eastern Arabian Peninsula to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the HimalayasHyoscyamus kotschyanus – western and southwestern IranHyoscyamus kurdicus – northern Iraq to IranHyoscyamus leptocalyx – southeastern Turkey to western IranHyoscyamus leucanthera – Iran, Afghanistan, and TurkmenistanHyoscyamus longipedunculatus – northern IraqHyoscyamus malekianus – southern IranHyoscyamus multicaulis – central AfghanistanHyoscyamus muticus L. - Egyptian henbane – northern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Pakistan, and IndiaHyoscyamus niger L. - Black henbane – temperate Eurasia and north AfricaHyoscyamus nutans – IranHyoscyamus orthocarpus – western and southern IranHyoscyamus pojarkovae – Syria, Iraq, and IranHyoscyamus pusillus L. – Western and Central Asia to Tibet and MongoliaHyoscyamus reticulatus L. – Turkey to Sinai and TajikistanHyoscyamus rosularis – central IranHyoscyamus senecionis – northern Iraq, Iran, and AfghanistanHyoscyamus squarrosus – Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and PakistanHyoscyamus tenuicaulis – western and southern IranHyoscyamus tibesticus – Chad