Downy thorn apple, Black datura
Datura inoxia

Family: Solanaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is an annual plant. It grows up to 2 m high. The stems have short hairs. The leaves are slightly hairy above and very hairy underneath. They have an unpleasant smell. The fruit is a very densely prickly drooping capsule. It is poisonous.

There are 10 Datura species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hot arid places with a marked dry season. It grows in sandy, stony and loamy soils. It grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mexico (country/location of origin), Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Caledonia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Puerto Rico, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sudan, Syria, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

CAUTION: IT IS POISONOUS. The seeds are very poisonous. They have been used to make an alcoholic drink. The active poisonous alkaloids are atropine, hyoscyamine and hyoscine.

Edible parts

Fruit, poisonous without treatment, seeds - drinks

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Barambal, Enumu, Semina daturae, Toloache

Synonyms

Datura metel auct., non Linn.; Datura meteloides Dc. ex Dunal;