THEY ARE NOT SUGARPLUMS

Atropa belladonna
It is difficult to say Nightshade without coupling it with Deadly. The words seem joined at the hip. Deadly Nightshade does not grow wild in Canada. The late summer red-fruited vine that sprawls over the shrubbery in countryside or garden is Bittersweet Nightshade or Climbing Nightshade. The familiar wild plant is a tomato and I would prefer to call it Wild Tomato rather than any kind of Nightshade. Bittersweet Nightshade or my Wild Tomato is Solanum dulcamara. The so-called Deadly Nightshade is Atropa belladonna: a quite different genus. Both plants are included at the rank of Family, the Solonaceae, but so are Petunias.

There should be no confusion in identifying these plants in flower or in fruit. The flower of Wild Tomato has five swept-back purple petals and a pointed nose-cone of yellow anthers. The drooping clusters of berries are green ripening to bright red.

The flowers of Deadly Nightshade, Atropa belladonna are bell-shaped and will partly enclose the developing black berry. The baleful tones of Atropa add to their malevolent reputation. The flower colour is shades of brownish purple like calves' liver. The berry is green ripening to shiny black on a star of persistant sepals. The fruits are never red at any stage. (Go to Google Images and you will see the usual mix-up.)

I have had a long aquaintance with Atropa. When I first went to school and could not see the blackboard, the ophthalmologist dropped Belladonna in my eyes to widen the pupils to aid in tests of my vision. All lights were halo-ed and scintilating as if it was suddenly Christmas. Cleopatra used that pupil dilating trick on her Antony to make herself appear even more alluring. With her blurred vision any man could be handsome although she never met a man she did not like.

Atropa belladonna has a very long history as a poison. I am told that the black berries are sweet and so does not warn you of its harmful effects. Fortunately it is not a plant that Canadians are likely to encounter but we should all be aware of its dangers.

Atropa belladonna berries are never red.
Accidental harm from Atropa is hardly likely. As a prepared drug or medicine hope has been held for a beneficial use such as treatments for asthma and hayfever. Claims are made for its value as antidote to other poisons such Sarin gas and the pesticide Malathion.It has been misused by those seeking recreational intoxication. Users report no pleasure but only delerium and the worst kinds of side effects.