henbane
n. a poisonous plant, Hyoscyamus niger, native to the Mediterranean and southern Europe and a source of the anticholinergic alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine. Although traditionally used in small doses as an analgesic, sedative, and smooth muscle relaxant, henbane in larger quantities is highly toxic, producing effects similar to those of poisoning with belladonna alkaloids, including delirium, hallucinations, convulsions, coma, and possibly death. It has long been associated in folklore with witchcraft and magic and even enjoyed a reputation for a time as an aphrodisiac.