Mandrake. Flowers of the mandrake (Atropa mandragora). This plant has been used in herbal medicine for centuries. The thick root contains hyoscyamine and hyoscine (scopolamine), and was widely used as a narcotic and anaesthetic. It was believed that the root emitted a piercing shriek when dug up, which killed anyone who heard it. It grows around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe and western Asia.