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datura
Scientific Name: Datura reburra
Family: Solanaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Datura: A Botanical Overview
Datura is a genus of nine species of poisonous, vespertine flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. They are often referred to as daturas, angel's trumpet, or moonflower, though "angel's trumpet" is a name shared with the closely related Brugmansia.
Considerations for Pets
- Datura plants are described as poisonous, and all parts of the plant are stated to be potentially fatal if ingested.
- The plant produces spiney seed pods.
Considerations for Children
- Datura plants are described as poisonous, and all parts of the plant are stated to be potentially fatal if ingested.
- The plant produces spiney seed pods.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Datura
- Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade Family, Potato Family)
- Common Names: Daturas, Angel's Trumpet, Moonflower, Thorn Apple, Jimsonweed, Devil's Trumpet, Sacred Datura, Devil's Breath, Devil's Apple. Some specific species also have unique common names (e.g., Toloache for Datura innoxia).
- Synonyms: Datura suaveolens is now called Brugmansia suaveolens.
Distribution and Habitat
- Datura is widely distributed.
- Datura stramonium (Thorn Apple) is an annual weed of gardens, roadsides, and other waste or cultivated land and is widely naturalized.
- Datura wrightii (Sacred Datura) is common in the arid regions of the United States and Baja.
- Thorn-apple is native to tropical America but has colonized northwards as far as New England.
- Several species (e.g., D. wrightii) can be found in all the major deserts.
- In lower desert environments, Datura thrives during the desert monsoon season.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Datura is described as a woody-stalked, leafy herb growing up to 2 meters in height.
- It produces spiney seed pods.
- It has large white or purple trumpet-shaped flowers that face upward.
- Some species, like Datura wrightii, are night-blooming herbaceous perennials.
- In the lower desert, some Datura can grow rapidly to a spread of 15 to 20 feet, but low growing versions exist that rarely exceed 2 feet in height.
Ethnobotanical Information and Uses
- Datura has been associated with magic, Saturn, and Venus in some cultural traditions.
- It has significant historical, mythological, and medicinal uses, as well as a history of abuse.
- Species such as Datura innoxia (Toloache) are ethnopharmacologically important in the New World, with evidence of use dating back to 1200 C.E.
- The Chumash people of California refer to Datura as "la Yerba Del Diablo".
Quirky Facts
- Some cultures refer to Datura as "la Yerba Del Diablo," which translates to "The Devil's Weed."
Toxicity and Recreational Use
- All parts of Datura plants are poisonous and potentially fatal if ingested.
- Datura contains tropane alkaloids, such as scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine, which make it a powerful deliriant drug.
- Recently, Datura has been used as a recreational hallucinogen in the US, leading to cases of anticholinergic poisoning and death.
External Resources
- CU Toxic Plant Pages
- Wikipedia: Datura on Wikipedia