white henbane

English

Etymology

From Middle English white henbane, a calque of Latin iusquamus albus.

Noun

white henbane (uncountable)

1. The plant Hyoscyamus albus.
   • 1578, Rembert Dodoens, translated by Henry Lyte, A Nievve Herball, or Historie of Plantes: Wherin is Contayned the VVhole Discourse and Perfect Description of All Sortes of Herbes and Plantes: Their Diuers ⁊ Sundry Kindes: […], London: Gerard Dewes, page 450:

     The thirde whiche hath white flowers, is called Hyoſcyamus albus, that is to ſay, White Henbane. / The Choiſe. / The white Henbane is beſt to be vſed in medicine. […] The ſeede of the white Henbane, and the leaues are cold in the third degree.

   • 2013, Cheryll J. Williams, “Ancient Drugs in a Modern World”, in Medicinal Plants in Australia, volume 4 (An Antipodean Apothecary), Rosenberg, →ISBN, section “The Black Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)”, page 348:

     The Henbanes, notably Black Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and White Henbane (H. albus), have long been utilised as magic, medicinal and hallucinogenic herbs in Europe and the Far East.

   • 2017, Harold Roth, “Henbane”, in The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden, Weiser Books, pages 208 and 214:

     In his book, The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants, German author Christian ratsch claims that white henbane (Hyoscyamus albus), whose flowers do not have the purple veining of black henbane, was the plant used in ancient southern Europe for prophecy. […] if you want to try growing it, white henbane tends to be on the short side, about two feet tall.