Practical
Plants

Datura inoxia

Downy Thorn Apple

an annual member of the Datura genus in the family Solanaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Datura
Life cycle
annual
Height
1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All members of this genus contain narcotics and are very poisonous, even in small doses[4].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - ground up and mixed with clay[2] ( the clay probably has a neutralizing effect on the toxins). A very toxic plant, its use as a food cannot be recommended[K]. The fruit is up to 5cm long and 7cm wide[4]. A stupefying beverage is made from the leaves and roots[2].

Product or use
Drink
Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All parts of the plant are anodyne, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic and narcotic[3][6]. It has been used in the past as a pain killer and also in the treatment of insanity, fevers with catarrh, diarrhoea and skin diseases[6]. The plant contains several alkaloids, the most active of which is scopolamine[6]. This is a potent cholinergic-blocking hallucinogen, which has been used to calm schizoid patients[5]. The leaves contain 0.52% scopolamine, the calices 1.08%, the stems 0.3%, the roots 0.39%, the fruits 0.77%, the capsules 0.33%, the seeds 0.44% and the whole plant 0.52 - 0.62%[6]. Any use of this plant should be with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner since the toxic dose is very close to the medicinal dose.

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Hallucinogenic
Product or use
Hypnotic
Product or use
Narcotic

Environment

Range
South-western N. America.
Habitat
Sandy or gravelly dry open places below 1200 metres in California[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Sow the seed in individual pots in early spring in a greenhouse[4]. Put 3 or 4 seeds in each pot and thin if necessary to the best plant. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 15°c. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Especially in areas with hot summers, it is worthwhile trying a sowing outdoors in situ in mid to late spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a rich light sandy soil[1] and an open sunny position[4]. It is best grown in a fertile calcareous soil[4]. Plants are not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c[7]. Plants can be grown outdoors as half-hardy annuals, starting the seed off in a greenhouse. This species is extremely susceptible to the various viruses that afflict the potato family (Solanaceae), it can act as a centre of infection so should not be grown near potatoes or tomatoes[4]. This species is a commercial source of the alkaloid scopolamine, used in the pharmaceutical industry[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants Studio Vista 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-289-70864-8

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩

  6. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩

  8. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

    ↩

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