Common Thornapple, Jimson Weed
Datura stramonium

Family: Solanaceae

What it is like

A stout herb or shrub. It has a rotten smell. it is an annual plant. It is branched and erect and grows 1 m tall. It can have a few hairs. The leaves are deeply lobed. The leaf blade is angular but oval. It is 5-36 cm long by 2-20 cm wide. The lobes have coarse, irregular teeth. The flowers occur singly. They have a stout stalk. It is 0.5-2 cm long. The flower is funnel shaped and white. The tube is 6-8 cm long. There are 5 lobes. The fruit is an oval capsule. It is 3-5 cm long. It has several sharp spines. It opens by 4 valves. The seeds are 2.5-3.5 mm long and black. They have coarse pits. POISONOUS.

There are 10 Datura species.

Where it is found

It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It suits hardiness zones 7-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Is., Caucasus,Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Congo R, Costa Rica, Crete, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guniea, Guatemala, French Guiana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Leeward Is., Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, Mali, Manchuria, auritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, North America, Northeastern India, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Siberia, Sicily, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Tibet, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The plant is poisonous. It has been used in medicine. CAUTION: IT IS POISONOUS. The seeds are very poisonous. The active poisonous alkaloids are atropine, hyoscyamine and hyoscine. The seeds are used to produce an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

Edible parts

Poisonous! nectar, fruit - drink

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Astenagir, Baanje, Dhatura

Synonyms

Datura tatula L.; Stramonium vulgare Moench; and several others