Henbane

Henbane, common name for a coarse, hairy and foul-smelling herb that bears alternate, bluntly lobed leaves (see Nightshade). Henbane has been introduced into North America and is now naturalized in widely scattered locations across the northern United States and southern Canada. The flowers are bell-shaped, displaying a dull yellow, five-pointed tube streaked with purple and surrounded by a green, five-pointed calyx that continues to grow and encloses the fruit as it matures. Henbane leaves and seeds are poisonous; they contain alkaloids, especially hyoscyamine, hyoscine (scopolamine), and atropine, and have been used in medicine since ancient times.

Scientific classification: Henbane belongs to the family Solanaceae. It is classified as Hyoscyamus niger.