Mandrake (Mancragora officinarum) root. The mandrake is a native European perennial,once widely used for its medicinal and narcotic properties. The main taproot was thought to look like a human figure,with divisions in the root resembling limbs. According to folklore the plant emitted a piercing shriek when uprooted,killing anyone who heard it. Illustration from a copy of 'De Materia Medica' by the Greek physician Dioscorides made in 1460 and owned by Sir Joseph Banks | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Natural History Museum, London |
Taille de l’image : | 2395 px × 3648 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |