Bane (plant)

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Aconitum napellus, a member of the flowering genus Aconitum, sometimes called wolfsbane Aconitum napellus 230705.jpg
Aconitum napellus , a member of the flowering genus Aconitum, sometimes called wolfsbane

The term bane (from Old English : bana, meaning "thing causing death, poison"), [1] in botany, is an archaic element in the common names of plants known to be toxic or poisonous.

In the Middle Ages, several poisonous plants of the genus Aconitum were thought to have prophylactic qualities, repelling and protecting against that which they were banes to (e.g. henbane , wolfsbane).

Variants

There is no single species, genus, or family of poisonous plant exclusively referred to as banes. Several unrelated plants bear the name.

Austrian leopard's bane
Doronicum austriacum , it grows between approximately 60 and 90 centimetres high with a spacing of 45 to 60 cm. It prefers full sun exposure to partial shade, requires little water, blooms in late spring to early summer, and has a bloom colour of bright yellow. The propagation for this plant would be division of rhizomes, tubers, corns, or the bulbs including the off position of the seeds.
Common dogbane
Apocynum androsaemifolium , a perennial herbaceous small shrub, growing up to one metre high, of the family Apocynaceae.
Dog bane
Plectranthus ornatus a perennial in the family Lamiaceae, said to repel dogs from gardens. Grows to a height of about 24-36 in. The plant prefers full sun exposure and not to be over watered. P. ornatus has a bloom time of late summer, early fall to mid-fall and a bloom color of light blue, violet, or lavender.
Henbane
Hyoscyamus niger , common name henbane is a poisonous plant in the family Solanaceae.
Leopard's bane
Doronicum orientale , also known as little leo. It grows between 40 and 46 cm high with a spacing of about 23 to 30 cm. All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. This plant is sensitive to the sun and over watering.
Wolfsbane
Aconitum napellus , common name wolfsbane, is a tall herb with purple flowers. The leaves are poisonous by ingestion or handling without gloves due to the presence of the highly toxic alkaloid aconitine. [2] Used for assassination and in warfare since ancient times, and was believed to prevent werewolves from undergoing their dire transformations.
Fleabane
Erigeron , common name fleabane, is a large genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is closely related to the genus Aster and the true daisy Bellis.

Footnotes

  1. "Bane". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  2. "Aconite". Drugs.com. Retrieved 1 July 2024.


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<i>Delphinium</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Arnica</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Arnica montana</i> Species of European flowering plant

Arnica montana, also known as wolf's bane, leopard's bane, mountain tobacco and mountain arnica, is a moderately toxic European flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae that has a large yellow flower head. The names "wolf's bane" and "leopard's bane" are also used for another plant, Aconitum, which is extremely poisonous.

<i>Cicuta virosa</i> Species of plant

Cicuta virosa, the cowbane or northern water hemlock, is a poisonous species of Cicuta, native to northern and central Europe, northern Asia and northwestern North America.

<i>Eranthis</i> Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Eranthis is a genus of eight species of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to southern Europe and east across Asia to Japan. The common name winter aconite comes from the early flowering time and the resemblance of the leaves to those of the related genus Aconitum, the true aconite. Like the notoriously toxic AconitumEranthis is poisonous, although its chemistry is different, the toxic compounds present being mainly cardiac glycosides of the bufadienolide group similar to those found in Adonis vernalis, rather than the virulent alkaloids of Aconitum.

<i>Cicuta</i> Genus of plants

Cicuta, commonly known as water hemlock, is a genus of four species of highly poisonous plants in the family Apiaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants which grow up to 2.5 meters (8 ft) tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape (umbel). Plants in this genus may also be referred to as cowbane or poison parsnip. Cicuta is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly North America and Europe, typically growing in wet meadows, along streambanks and other wet and marshy areas. These plants bear a close resemblance to other members in the family Apiaceae and may be confused with a number of edible or poisonous plants. The common name hemlock may also be confused with poison hemlock, or with the Hemlock tree.

<i>Aconitum anthora</i> Species of plant

Aconitum anthora, variously known as anthora, yellow monkshood, or healing wolfsbane, is a yellow flowering plant species of the genus Aconitum in the family Ranunculaceae.

<i>Aconitum lycoctonum</i> Species of plant

Aconitum lycoctonum is a species of flowering plant in the genus Aconitum, of the family Ranunculaceae, native to much of Europe and northern Asia. It is found in lowlands to the subalpine zone, mainly in forests and shaded habitats. Along with A. napellus, A. lycoctonum is of the most common European species of the Aconitum genus. They are also grown ornamentally in gardens, thriving well in ordinary garden soil. As such, A. lycoctonum can be found in North America, especially in eastern Canada, often in old gardens or as garden escapees.

<i>Doronicum</i> Genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae

Doronicum is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, known as leopard's bane. They are all herbaceous perennials native to Europe, southwest Asia and Siberia. They produce yellow, daisy-like flowerheads in spring and summer.

<i>Doronicum orientale</i> Species of plant

Doronicum orientale, the leopard's bane, is a European plant species in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Staphisagria macrosperma</i> Species of flowering plant

Staphisagria macrosperma, formerly known as Delphinium staphisagria, is a species of Staphisagria of the family Ranunculaceae. It used to belong to the subgenus or section Staphisagria of the genus Delphinium, but molecular evidence suggests Staphisagria should be a genus which is a sister group to the Aconitum-Delphinium clade. It is described botanically as a stoutly-stemmed, hairy biennial with large palmate leaves up to 6 inches (15 cm) across. The flowers are mauve-blue to blue, short-spurred, and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) across, occurring in racemes. The plant grows to a height of 4–5 feet. It grows throughout the Mediterranean. All parts of this plant are highly toxic and should not be ingested in any quantity.

Leopard's bane or leopard's-bane may refer to:

<i>Aconitum napellus</i> Species of plant

Aconitum napellus, monkshood, aconite, Venus' chariot or wolfsbane, is a species of highly toxic flowering plants in the genus Aconitum of the family Ranunculaceae, native and endemic to western and central Europe. It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 m tall, with hairless stems and leaves. The leaves are rounded, 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) diameter, palmately divided into five to seven deeply lobed segments. The flowers are dark purple to bluish-purple, narrow oblong helmet-shaped, 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) tall. Plants native to Asia and North America formerly listed as A. napellus are now regarded as separate species. The plant is extremely poisonous in both ingestion and body contact.

<i>Doronicum grandiflorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Doronicum grandiflorum is a European species of Doronicum, a member of the family Asteraceae.

<i>Curio rowleyanus</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Curio rowleyanus, syn. Senecio rowleyanus, is a flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. In its natural environment its stems trail on the ground, rooting where they touch and form dense mats. It often avoids direct sunlight by growing in the shade of other plants and rocks. It is commonly known as string-of-pearls or string-of-beads.

<i>Delphinium scopulorum</i> Species of plant

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<i>Doronicum plantagineum</i> Species of flowering plant

Doronicum plantagineum, the plantain-leaved leopard's-bane or plantain false leopardbane, is a European plant species in the sunflower family. It is native to southeastern Europe from Greece and Italy to Ukraine and the Czech Republic. There are reports of the species being naturalized in the State of Oregon in the northwestern United States.

<i>Doronicum pardalianches</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Doronicum pardaliances, known as leopard's-bane, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Like other members of the genus Doronicum, it is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial. It has upright stems growing to 80 cm (31 in), with heart-shaped basal leaves and yellow flowers, generally 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) across. It is native to western Europe and was introduced to the British Isles, where it was first recorded in Northumberland in 1633.