Henbane (Parasika Yavani)

Henbane is a sticky, hairy annual or biennial herb of the nightshade family, native to temperate Europe and Asia and found in the Himalaya. It has a strong unpleasant smell, lobed leaves and pale yellow flowers veined in purple, followed by capsules full of small seeds.

Known as Parasika Yavani, it appears in Ayurvedic and Unani texts, where the seed and leaf were used in carefully measured traditional preparations, including oral care. The plant is poisonous, and it is used only after classical purification under qualified supervision.