Physochlaina orientalis (Hyoscyamus orientalis) seeds

Physochlaina orientalis (Hyoscyamus orientalis) seeds

Physochlaina orientalis belongs to the family of the Solanaceae, the nightshades. It is also known as “Büschelbilsenkraut”. It is native to Asia, the Balkan region and turkey. In those countries it grows in the mountains up to 2200 to 4500m above sea level.
P. orientalis is an herbaceous, perennial, winter hardy bush. It reaches a height of about 50 cm. The shoot can be hairy.
The leaves are oblong, 8 to 20 cm long and 4 to 10 cm wide, but mostly they are 8 cm long and 5 cm wide. The leaves can also be ovate- elliptic. At the bottom the leaves are heart shaped.
The flowers are violet and tubular. They occur in inflorescences of 3 to 14 flowers. The flowers have small flower stalks. The filaments can be longer than the corolla. P. orientalis blooms mainly in spring and hardly in summer.
The fruit is a capsule that opens with a cap to release the seeds. The seeds are very small, 2, 2 to 2, 8 mm long and 1, 2 to 2, 5 mm wide. They can have various forms: round, ovate or elliptic. It builds rhizomes.
All parts of the plant are highly poisonous. It includes tropanalkaloides which can provoke dizziness, blindness and respiratory paralysis. So one should be careful and only use P. orientalis as an ornamental plant.

Cultivation
P. orientalis is easy to cultivate. It is winter hardy and therefore the seeds need a cool period of several months before planting (stratification). After that they can be planted in a humus rich, permeable substrate. The seeds should only be slightly covered with substrate. The substrate has to be kept moist. P. orientalis should be placed sunny.
P. orientalis can also be planted in rockeries.