Enchanter's-nightshade - Circaea lutetiana - Krókdyrgja - Krókurt - Dunet steffensurt - Gemeines Hexenkraut - Pori-nõiakold - Stortrollurt - Broadleaf enchanter's nightshade - Stor häxört - Lielā raganzālīte - Cirkaya lutityana - Didžioji danten - Großes Hexenkraut - Двулепестник парижский - Gewöhnliches Hexenkraut - Nornagras - Dyrgjujurt - Eyrarósarætt - Onagraceae - Skógarplöntur - Villijurtir - Skuggajurtir - Hvít blóm. This is a shy inhabitant of dark, damp places. Circaea alpina will hybridize with Circaea lutetiana producing sterile offspring that persists in vegetative colonies. Circaea is in the family Onagraceae, which also includes willowherbs, evening primroses and fuchsias. The genus is named after the enchantress Circe from Greek mythology, who is supposed to have used enchanter's nightshade in her magic. Enchanter's nightshade is not related to the nightshade family that includes deadly nightshade and the genus Solanum (the Solanaceae). Molecular evidence indicates the closest relative to Circaea is the lineage that gave rise to the genus Fuchsia, which diverged from it around 41 million years ago. Circaea lutetiana is not especially toxic, but contains a lot of the astringent tannin.
Circaea lutetiana is a perennial herbaceous plant with opposite, simple leaves, on slender, green stems. The flowers are white, borne in summer. The leaves are rounded or slightly notched at the base, they narrow gradually to the pointed tip and are not strongly toothed, but have sinuate edges. The leaf stalks are equally hairy all round.The flower has 2 notched petals, 2 stamens and a 2-lobed stigma. The open flowers are well spaced along the stalk and there are no bracts at base of individual flower stalks. The fruit consists of 2 equal cells, and usually sets seed. The flower stalks become angled downwards before fruiting. The fruit is a small bur 3.5-5mm[6] which aids the plant's dispersal via zoochory. It is only rarely used as a garden plant. When it is, it is typically of a variety known as 'Caveat Emptor', which has leaves that are heavily mottled pink. See more: [ Ссылка ]
Borne on a tall, slender stem, the tiniest white florets dance like butterflies; below them, heart-shaped leaves grow in opposing pairs, their margins slightly toothed. As the flowers open, the stem will get progressively longer, reaching a height of about two feet. Once they have been pollinated by insects, the flowers will produce small round seed cases, covered with tiny bristles. See more: [ Ссылка ]
Each flower ‘sits’ on the end of a stalk and many flowers (collectively termed the inflorescence) are gathered together at the top of the plant (in a structure called a raceme). See more: [ Ссылка ]
Circaea alpina - Skuggadyrgja
Circaea canadensis - Eastern enchanter's nightshade
Circaea lutetiana - Krókdyrgja
