Mandragora turcomanica
Very rare species, relative of Euroasian mandrakes (M. officinarum, M. autumnalis). Some autorities tells that Avestan (indo-iranian) haoma (soma) was made from this plant. The species is extinct or extremely rare in natural habitats in Iran and Turkmenistan (in culture, possibly, about 300 plants).
Like other species, M. turcomanica contains a range of alkaloids: atropine, hyoscine, etc. Local people uses mandragora plant in a whole: roots (for tinctures), fruits (as food plant and as afrodisiac) and leaves.
Plant has a large, whitish-brown root, often divided into two or more branches. Leaves dark-green, 30-60 cm long.
The flowers are creamy-purple. Fruit pretty much like yellow-orange tomato.
Cultivation is not very difficult. For best results I reccomend scarification of its seeds.
10 Mandragora turcomanica seeds for 30 USD.
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