| Veratrum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Veratrum album[1] | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Melanthiaceae |
| Tribe: | Melanthieae |
| Genus: | Veratrum L. 1753 |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Veratrum is agenus offlowering plants in thefamilyMelanthiaceae.[3] It occurs in damp habitats across much of temperate and subarcticEurope,Asia, andNorth America.[2][4][5][6][7]
Veratrum species are vigorousherbaceousperennials with highly poisonous blackrhizomes, and panicles of white or brown flowers on erect stems.[8] In English they are known asfalse hellebores,false helleborines, andcorn lilies. However,Veratrum is not closely related tohellebores,helleborines,maize, orlilies.
Veratrum is from theLatin word for "hellebore", of uncertain origin;Anatoly Liberman believes that the reconstructedProto-Slavic term for the genusVeratrum,*čemerъ, is probablycognate with the English wordhemlock, a plant similarly used for poison inantiquity.
Veratrum species are used as food plants by thelarvae of someLepidoptera species includingSetaceous Hebrew Character.
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Widely distributed inmontane habitats oftemperate Northern Hemisphere,Veratrum species prefer full sunlight and deep, wet soils, and are common in wet mountain meadows, swamps, and near streambanks.
Veratrum plants contain highly toxicsteroidal alkaloids (e.g.veratridine) that activatesodium ion channels and cause rapid cardiac failure and death if ingested.[9]2-Deoxyjervine is also found in these plants and is known to induceholoprosencephaly andcyclopia.[10] All parts of these plants are poisonous, with the roots andrhizomes being the most poisonous.[9] If ingested, symptoms, which typically occur between thirty minutes and four hours, includenausea,vomiting, abdominal pain, numbness,headache,sweating, muscle weakness,bradycardia,hypotension,cardiac arrhythmia, andseizures.[9] Treatment for poisoning includesgastrointestinal decontamination withactivated charcoal followed by supportive care includingantiemetics for persistent nausea and vomiting, along withatropine for treatment of bradycardia andfluid replacement andvasopressors for the treatment of hypotension.[9]
The toxic alkaloids are only produced during active growth, and are degraded and metabolized during the winter months. Native Americans harvested their roots for medicinal purposes during their dormant period.
Native Americans were well aware ofVeratrum'steratogenic properties and used the plants' juices, obtained by pressing their roots, to poison arrows before combat. The roots, when dried and ground into powder, were also used as an insecticide.[11] Western American Indian tribes have a long history of using these plants medicinally, and combined minute amounts of the winter-harvested root of these plants withSalvia dorii to potentiate the effects and reduce the herb's toxicity.[11]
During the 1930sVeratrum extracts were investigated in the treatment of high blood pressure in humans. While initial results were promising, many of the patients suffered side effects due to the narrowtherapeutic index of these products. Due to their toxicity and the availability of other less toxic drugs, use ofVeratrum as a treatment for high blood pressure in humans was discontinued.[9]
Veratrum plants are known both in western herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine as toxic herbs to be used with great caution. It is one of the medicinals (Li lu, 藜蘆) cited in Chinese herbal texts as incompatible with many other common herbs because of its potentiating effects. Especially, many root (and root-shaped) herbs, particularlyginseng,san qi, andhai seng, will create and or exacerbate a toxic effect.[12]
The roots ofV. nigrum andV. schindleri have been used in Chinese herbalism, where plants of this genus are known asli lu.Li lu is used internally as a powerful emetic of last resort, and topically to kill external parasites, treattinea andscabies, and stop itching.[12] Some herbalists refuse to prescribeli lu internally, citing the extreme difficulty in preparing a safe and effective dosage, and that death has occurred with dosages of as little as 600 milligrams.[12]
