Wolfskers (Atropa bella-donna) (also: slaapbes) is a perennial plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The plant is very poisonous.
Wolfskers occurs naturally in Europe, North Africa and West Asia and from there spread around the world. In the Netherlands the species is very rare and mainly in South Limburg and Gelderland to find, but is also found in parks in the rest of the Netherlands. In Belgium, the rare species in the Ardennes and very rare elsewhere. The place is shady areas, especially at the edge of the forest.
The entire plant contains toxic alkaloids. Especially dangerous are the berries, which contain the highly toxic substance atropine. Eating three berries can kill a child. For an adult ten to twelve berries often fatal. Poisoning by the leaves occurs from 0.3 grams [source?]. It can grow up to 1 m tall.
The plant also contains hyoscyamine, scopolamine, pyridine and choline [2].
The specific name bella donna comes from the Latin word for "beautiful woman". Women trickled in the Renaissance: the atropine from the plant in their eyes to dilate the pupils and giving them a darker and glossier appearance services. That they did so even worse was like taken for granted. Even today, ophthalmologists use the pupil widening feature of atropine still with eye examination, but in minute quantities.
Another possibility is that the word is derived from belladonna Bellona, the Etruscan goddess of war.
The botanical name Atropa is derived from the Greek word 'Atropos', meaning 'unavoidable' means. Atropos is also the name of one of the three Fates of Greek mythology. Already in antiquity the plant was used. In the 19th century, the deadly nightshade extract used to treat jaundice, scarlet fever, whooping cough, nervous diseases and epilepsy.
In the Middle Ages, the plant used in levenselixers regarded as witch grass witch which witches ointment made. For moderately internally can cause hallucinations and euphoria states can occur.
Source: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfskers
See also:
Sending Flowers,
Online Florist
