Briony
Bryonia dioica, Bryonia alba
Synonyms:
Bryonia, Briony, Devil's Turnip, Snakeweed
Family:
Cucurbitaceae, Cucumber family
Where to find this herb:
Originally from Southern Europe. Can be found in the rest of Europe near old monastries.
Part(s) used:
Root
Special constituents:
Bryonin
Correspondance:
None found
Uses:
Mandrake-substitute, money-magic
Heggenrank 
Galdebær In Denmark you can find two species of Briony, Bryonia dioica and Bryonia alba. The two species are very similar, but B. alba has black berries, B. dioica has red berries.
Briony has not been used much in witchcraft, but it is important to know it, as the root has often been used as a substitute for Mandrake. The root can be up to 1 meter long (!) but usually do not resemble a human figure like the Mandrake root does. So beware that nobody tries to sell you Briony root, claiming it to be Mandrake!
Farmakopé-description of the root: "In transverse sections about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter, the bark gray-brown, rough, thin, the central portion whitish or grayish, with numerous small, projecting wood-bundles arranged in circles and radiating lines; fracture short; inodorous; taste disagreeably bitter"—(U. S. P.).
All parts of Briony are toxic, the berries are very toxic indeed. 10-20 berries are enough to kill a child, 40 berries can kill an adult. For this reason the plant is no longer used at all in conventional medicine, but you can still find it in homeopathic remedies. Previously a tincture of the herb was used against rheumatism, bronchitis, influenza and many other maladies.
Symptoms of Briony consumption includes nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, low temperature, low pulse, enlarged pupils, collapse, and in the end death.
Magically the root has been used for money magic; money placed near the root is said to multiply, but only if not touched.