The seeds disperse freely over pastures, fields, and even wasteland locations.ĭatura belongs to the classic "witches' weeds", along with deadly nightshade, henbane, and mandrake. The fruit is a spiny capsule, 4–10 cm long and 2–6 cm broad, splitting open when ripe to release the numerous seeds. The flowers are erect or spreading (not pendulous like those of Brugmansia), trumpet-shaped, 5–20 cm long, and 4–12 cm broad at the mouth colours vary from white to yellow and pale purple. The leaves are alternate, 10–20 cm long, and 5–18 cm broad, with a lobed or toothed margin. The Mexican common name toloache (also spelled tolguacha) derives from the Nahuatl tolohuaxihuitl, meaning "the plant with the nodding head" (in reference to the nodding seed capsules of Datura species belonging to section Dutra of the genus).ĭatura species are herbaceous, leafy annuals and short-lived perennials, which can reach up to 2 m in height. Nathaniel Hawthorne refers to one type in The Scarlet Letter as "apple-Peru". Record of this name in English dates back to 1662. In the Ayurvedic text Sushruta Samhita, different species of Datura are also referred to as kanaka and unmatta. The generic name Datura is taken from Hindi धतूरा dhatūra "thorn-apple", ultimately from Sanskrit धत्तूर dhattūra "white thorn-apple" (referring to Datura metel of Asia). Non-psychoactive use of plants in the genus is usually done for medicinal purposes, and the alkaloids present in some species have long been considered traditional medicines in both the New and Old Worlds due to the presence of the alkaloids scopolamine and atropine, which are also produced by Old World plants such as Hyoscyamus niger, Atropa belladonna, and Mandragora officinarum. Certain common Datura species have also been used ritualistically as entheogens by some Native American groups. Traditionally, their psychoactive administration has often been associated with witchcraft and sorcery or similar practices in many cultures, including the Western world. ĭue to their effects and symptoms, Datura species have occasionally been used not only as poisons, but also as hallucinogens by various groups throughout history. All species of Datura are extremely poisonous and potentially psychoactive, especially their seeds and flowers, which can cause respiratory depression, arrhythmias, fever, delirium, hallucinations, anticholinergic syndrome, psychosis, and even death if taken internally. Other English common names include moonflower, devil's weed, and hell's bells. They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also known as devil's trumpets (not to be confused with angel's trumpets, which are placed in the closely related genus Brugmansia). Datura is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine- flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family ( Solanaceae).
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