Datura stramonium

Datura stramonium, known by the common names thornapple, jimsonweed (jimson weed), or devil's trumpet, is a poisonous flowering plant in the Daturae tribe of the nightshade family Solanaceae. Its likely origin was in Central America, and it has been introduced in many world regions. It is an aggressive invasive weed in temperate climates and tropical climates across the world. D. stramonium has frequently been employed in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments. It has also been used as a hallucinogen (of the anticholinergic/antimuscarinic, deliriant type), taken entheogenically to cause intense, sacred or occult visions. It is unlikely ever to become a major drug of abuse owing to effects upon both mind and body frequently perceived as being highly unpleasant, giving rise to a state of profound and long-lasting disorientation or delirium (anticholinergic syndrome) with a potentially fatal outcome. It contains tropane alkaloids which are responsible for the psychoactive effects, and may be severely toxic.

Description

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.

Edible Uses

None known.

Traditional Uses

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.

Medicinal Uses

Thornapple is a bitter narcotic plant that relieves pain and promotes healing, with a long history of herbal use, though it is very poisonous and must be handled with extreme caution. The leaves, flowering tops, and seeds are anodyne, antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic, mydriatic, and narcotic, with the seeds being the most medicinally active. Internally it is used in the treatment of asthma and Parkinson's disease; excess causes giddiness, dry mouth, hallucinations, and coma. Externally it is applied as a poultice or wash to treat fistulas, abscesses, wounds, and severe neuralgia. Leaves should be harvested when the plant is in full flower and dried for later use. They contain hyoscyamine and atropine, with traces of scopolamine — a potent cholinergic-blocking hallucinogen used to calm schizoid patients. Atropine dilates the pupils and is used in eye surgery. Smoking the leaves as an antispasmodic for asthma has been practised but is considered extremely dangerous. In Tibetan medicine the seeds are considered to have a bitter, acrid taste with a cooling and very poisonous potency; used as analgesic, anthelmintic, and anti-inflammatory in the treatment of stomach and intestinal pain from worm infestation, toothache, and fever from inflammations. The juice of the fruit is applied to the scalp to treat dandruff. Use of this plant is subject to legal restrictions in some countries and should only be undertaken under supervision of a qualified practitioner, as all parts are very poisonous and the margin between medicinal and toxic doses is very narrow.

Known Hazards

All parts of Datura plants contain dangerous levels of the tropane alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine, all of which are classified as deliriants, or anticholinergics. The risk of fatal overdose is high among uninformed users, and many hospitalizations occur among recreational users who ingest the plant for its psychoactive effects. Deliberate or inadvertent poisoning resulting from smoking jimsonweed and other related species has been reported. Numerous other alkaloids have been detected at lower levels in the plant including methylecgonine in the roots, apoatropine in the stems, leaves, and other parts, and tropine in the flowers and other parts. The amount of toxins varies widely from plant to plant. As much as a 20:1 variation can be found between plants, and a given plant's toxicity depends on its age, where it is growing, and the local weather conditions. A particularly strong difference has been found between plants growing in their native ranges and plants that have adjusted to growing in non-native ranges: in the latter, the atropine and scopolamine concentration may be up to 20–40 times lower than in the native range. It is suspected that this is an evolutionary response to lower predatory pressures. Additionally, within a given plant, toxin concentration varies by part and even from leaf to leaf. When the plant is younger, the ratio of scopolamine to atropine is about 3:1; after flowering, this ratio is reversed, with the amount of scopolamine continuing to decrease as the plant gets older. In traditional cultures, a great deal of experience and detailed knowledge of Datura was critical to minimize harm. An individual seed contains about 0.1 mg of atropine, and the approximate fatal dose for adult humans is >10 mg atropine or >2–4 mg scopolamine. Recently a rodent study investigating a methanolic extract derived from the whole plant reported significant behavioural and neurochemical effects. The extract induced memory deficits, along with anxiogenic and depressive-like behaviours. These effects were associated with elevated lipid peroxidation and a marked depletion of antioxidant enzymes in the brain. Histological analysis revealed disrupted neuronal morphology in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, providing evidence suggestive of the plant's neurotoxic potential. Datura intoxication typically produces delirium, hallucination, hyperthermia, tachycardia, bizarre behavior, urinary retention, and severe mydriasis, with resultant painful photophobia that can last several days. Pronounced amnesia is another commonly reported effect. The onset of symptoms generally occurs around 30 to 60 minutes after ingesting the herb. These symptoms generally last from 24 to 48 hours, but have been reported in some cases to last as long as two weeks. As with other cases of anticholinergic poisoning, intravenous physostigmine can be administered in severe cases as an antidote. In Australia in December 2022, around 200 people reported becoming ill after eating products containing spinach, sold mostly through Costco. Datura stramonium was identified as the contaminant, whose young leaves had been picked alongside the spinach leaves. The weed had spread due to increased rainfall. The grower, Riviera Farms, is from the Gippsland region of Victoria, and acted promptly to eradicate the weed.

Distribution

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

Where It Grows

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,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most moderately good soils but prefers a rich light sandy soil or a calcareous loam, and an open sunny position. Plants often self-sow when well sited. The thornapple is cultivated commercially as a medicinal plant. It can become a weed in suitable conditions and is subject to statutory control in some countries. 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. Grows well with pumpkins. The whole plant gives off a nauseating stench.

Propagation

Sow seed in individual pots in early spring in a greenhouse, placing 3 or 4 seeds per pot and thinning to the strongest plant if needed. Seed usually germinates in 3–6 weeks at 15°C. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. In areas with hot summers, an outdoor sowing in situ in mid to late spring is also worth trying.

Other Uses

The growing plant is said to protect neighbouring plants from insects. The juice of the fruits is applied to the scalp to treat dandruff and hair loss. Extracts of Datura species have attracted considerable interest as botanical pesticides; D. metel in particular appears to suppress several economically important nematode species.

Notes

There are 10 Datura species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Astenagir, Baanje, Dhatura

References (20)

• Agarwal, R. & Chandra, V., 2019, Diversity of wild edible plants in the Mandal-Chopta forest, Uttarakhand. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2019; 7(1): 89-92
• Alemneh, D., 2020, Ethnobotany of wild edible plants in Yilmana Densa and Quarit Districts of West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 20:47
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 163
• Blamey, M and Grey-Wilson, C., 2005, Wild flowers of the Mediterranean. A & C Black London. p 406
• Bremness, L., 1994, Herbs. Collins Eyewitness Handbooks. Harper Collins. p 246

More from Solanaceae

Solanum petrophilum

Rock Nightshade

Solanum phlomoides

Solanum phureja

Phureja

Solanum piliferum

Solanum pimpinellifolium

Currant Tomato

Solanum pittosporifolium