Male mandrake root, 15th-century illustration. The mandrake (Mancragora officinarum) is a European plant that was widely used for its medicinal and narcotic properties. The root was thought to look like a human figure. According to folklore the plant emitted a piercing shriek when uprooted, killing anyone who heard it. This coloured woodcut is from an edition of 'Hortus sanitatis' (Garden of Health), printed in the German city of Mainz by Jacob Meydenbach. Also called 'Ortus Sanitatis', this work contained treatises on plants, animals and medicinal treatments, and was first published in 1491.