mandrake

A plant of the nightshade family that spreads large spinach-shaped leaves in a rosette pattern. The flowers that form in the middle of the rosettes later become yellow-red fruits resembling tomatoes. Although considered a delicacy, it has an unusual smell and taste (Song 7:13). Sometimes called a “love apple,” it was purported to be an aphrodisiac and enhancer of fertility. Mandrakes were found in the wheat fields by Reuben and were the indirect cause of the birth of Issachar (Gen 30:14-18).