DATURA
Legend: a). flower / corolla, b). stem, c). stamen , d). bud, e). leaf,
f). top view of the flower, g). roots , h). fruit, i). calyx, j). fruit, opened with seeds visible,
k). longitudinal section of the ovary, l). cross-section of the ovary , m). seed, n). pedicel,
o). androecium and gynoecium
Jimsonweed
Downy Thorn Apple
Indian-apple
moonflower
toloatzin, toloache
po-tay-to, po-tah-to, whatever you call this soft, scenty, night-blooming flower, it’s a
Datura innoxia
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Datura
Species: D. innoxia
Other Scientific Names
Datura guayaquilensis Kunth
Datura meteloides DC. ex Dunal
Datura innoxia is considered synonymous with Datura meteloides DC., but actually differs in its erect habit, smaller flowers, larger stigmas and shorter styles.
Bengali: dhutura - ধুতুরা
Arabic: tatura, jozmashel, jozmathel
Chinese: yang jinhua - 洋金花
Hindi: sadadhatura
Korean: huindogmalpul
Portuguese: burbiaca
Spanish: burladora
Sweden: indisk spikklubba
The name “Datura” originates from the Sanskrit word “Dustura (धुस्तूर)” or “Dahatura (धत्तूर),” while the prefix “in-” means “not”, and “-noxia” means “harmful”. It’s a fitting name given for the soft, non-harmful spines of the fruit. However, the plant is totally toxic!
The Nahuatl names toloatzin and toloaxihuitl, which means the plant with a nodding head, was preferred by the Aztecs. and used it long before the Spanish conquest of Mexico for many therapeutic purposes, Although the Aztecs warned against madness and “various and vain imaginings", many Native Americans have used the plant as an entheogen for hallucinations and rites of passage.
Other commonly known names include thorn apple, devil’s apple, stink weed, angel’s trumpet, jimson weed.
Datura species have become a focus of research due to their phytochemical com-position, which makes them suitable for medicinal and hallucinogenic properties.
Traditionally, Datura has been used for mystic and religious purposes and as a natural drug to treat asthma; it has also been used as a narcotic drug, smoked to cause hallucinations.
Datura is cultivated for its tropane alkaloid content.
The plant parts as in the other Datura species are poisonous. The poisonous seeds are intoxicating and are also used as a cure for hydrophobia.
The genus Datura (Family: Solanaceae) can be found throughout the world, with 9 - 14 species (depending on who you ask!)
Ten species are available in India.
There are many plants in the family that Datura resides in:
SOLANACEAE.
Solanaceae is the family of eggplants, tomatillos, and peppers! The Solanaceae family, also known as the nightshade family, or potato family, is a diverse and economically significant plant family. This family includes 90 genera and about 3000 species
And being in that family means it’s a:
DICOTYLEDON.
One of the 2 divisions of angiosperms, Solanaceae is a family of only dicots!
Datura innoxia is a dicotyledon, which means it’s a plant with two seed leaves (cotyledons), in its seed. Dicotyledons, or dicots, typically have a range of characteristics, including, net-like (reticulate) leaf venation, flower parts usually in multiples of four or five, and vascular bundles arranged in a ring within the stem. All which are true with this plant that is:
HERBACEOUS.
It’s an herbaceous plant. This means it has non-woody stems and the above-ground parts of the plant typically die back at the end of the growing season. Herbaceous plants can be annuals, biennials, or perennials, and Datura innoxia is typically a perennial in warmer climates, although it is often grown as an annual in cooler regions. And not only is it herbaceous, it’s:
COMPLETE and PERFECT.
This means that it possesses both male and female reproductive structures on the same flower, making it bisexual. This characteristic allows the plant to self-pollinate, although it can also be pollinated by external agents like moths and bats.
Datura plants, including Datura innoxia , are also considered complete flowers. This means each flower has all four main parts: sepals, petals, stamens (male reproductive organs), and pistils (female reproductive organs).
ORIGIN
Datura innoxia is native to the Southwestern United States, Central America, Texas, Mexico, and Northern and Western South America.
It has been introduced to other tropical and subtropical regions around the world, most notably India, as well as Africa, Australia, and Europe among others.
POLLINATION
Primarily pollinated by nocturnal pollinators, moths and bats, the flowers only bloom in the evening, closing up and wilting by mid-day. Because the plant has both female and male reproductive parts on the same flower, it is also self-fertile enough to pollinate itself when needed.
VALUE TO WILDLIFE
Although there are pollinators and few insects who enjoy the presence of the plant, it has limited value to wildlife due to its toxic properties. All parts of the plant contain dangerous levels of tropane alkaloids, which can be harmful or fatal to animals if ingested.
This toxicity can affect livestock, pets, and even wild animals, making it a potential threat rather than a beneficial plant for wildlife.
VALUE TO HUMANS
And although it can be toxic and detrimental to the health of living beings, Datura innoxia is widely used for its powerful psychoactive properties.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the plant has been used for at least 3,000 years in the southwestern United States.
Among the Tohono O'odham and Pima tribes of the southwestern United States, Datura innoxia has been used in shamanic rituals to induce visions and spiritual experiences. It’s used in healing ceremonies and as a means to gain insight during divination rituals. In Mexico, Datura innoxia is known as “toloache," and it has been used by shamans for centuries. The plant is smoked or ingested to induce hallucinations and visions, often for spiritual and medicinal purposes. The Chumash Indians of southern California used Datura innoxia as a sacred and medicinal plant.
Quite negatively, because the seeds are highly poisonous, they have been in use for centuries for criminal purposes.
MEDICINAL VALUE
Regardless of the potent psychoactive and toxic components, such as scopolamine, atropine, and hyoscyamine, it has been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes.
Many positive usages have been recognized, and the plant has been used for antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic treatments. Ointments made from the plant can speed up wound-healing.
When it comes to its anti-asthmatic property, the seeds and leaves are narcotic and antispasmodic. Immediate relief comes after smoking a small-quantity of leaves.
The juice of the plant is believed to be the cure for hydrophobia.
Flower
The flowers are large, white, and trumpet-shaped.
It has actinomorphic symmetry.
It’s a complete flower with all 4 whorls.
It’s a perfect flower with both the gynoecium and androecium.
And its inflorescence is (terminal) solitary.
Anther fixation: The anthers are basifixed. This means that the anthers are attached to the filament at their base, allowing them to pivot around this point. This type of fixation helps in the efficient release of pollen.
Anther dehiscence: It exhibits longitudinal dehiscence. This means that the anthers release their pollen through slits that run lengthwise along the anther. This type of dehiscence allows for efficient pollen release and dissemination, aiding in the plant's reproduction process.
The gynoecium consists of a bicarpellate ovary. It becomes tetralocular due to the development of false septum. Thus, it’s often referred to as plurilocular, or multilocular.
There are numerous ovules arranged on axile placentation on the swollen placenta. The style is linear, terminal and the stigma is capitate or shortly lobed.
There are four placentae in the basal and middle regions of the ovary.
The ovary is superior in its position, making it a hypogynous flower, with axile placentation, where the ovules are attached to the central axis of the ovary, which is divided into chambers by septa, and so it appears as 3 or 4 carpels. So, the seeds develop around the central column within the ovary.
The ovary is rounded and pyramidal. The widest part of the ovary is covered by erect spines. The ovary is bilocular in the upper portion and quadrilocular in the lower portion because of the development of a false septa.
The ovary from the small flower bud is smooth walled and slightly lobed. It is four chambered at the basal and middle regions but two chambered in the terminal region. In the extreme tip of the ovary or beneath the style it is unilocular and without placentae and ovules.
Fruit
The fruit is a capsule, which is a dry, dehiscent fruit that splits open when mature to release seeds. It’s spherical in shape, sometimes reaching up to 5 cm in diameter, with a surface covered with sharp spines all around. This spiny nature of the fruit capsule has an ecological role in helping protect the seeds from being easily eaten by herbivores.
Upon maturity, the capsule splits open, often from the top, to release a large number of seeds, which are typically small, brown to black in color, and have a rough texture. This splitting mechanism ensures that seeds are effectively dispersed into the surrounding environment when the capsule opens.
The plant flowers and fruits during late summer through autumn.
Shoot
The shoot system of Datura innoxia is designed to support the plant's growth and reproduction, with its large leaves aiding in photosynthesis and its flowers attracting pollinators. It includes an herbaceous stem, which is usually villous-pubescent, sometimes glabrous.
The stem is erect, highly branched, robust, and can grow quite large, sometimes reaching heights of 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 7 feet) and appearing bushy.
Typically green and smooth, it can become somewhat woody and textured with age, but it’s definitely not a woody plant!
Roots
Typical for dicots, the roots are a taproot system, with a primary root that grows vertically deep into the soil, with smaller lateral roots branching off from it.
This type of root system helps the plant access water and nutrients from deeper layers of the soil, which is especially useful in dry conditions, and is responsible for transporting water and nutrients, and providing structure to the plant.
More specifically, they are tuberous roots, with a thickened lateral root that stores nutrients and water.
Leaves
The leaves have an elliptic shape, with a broad lamina (blade). Their margin is of an entire, smooth, continuous edge, with an uneven, oblique base. They are occasionally slightly sinuate. They are simple, meaning they attach directly to the stem, and don’t share a petiole with other leaves.
When it comes to the Phyllotaxis (attachment to stem), the leaves arrange themselves on an alternate basis, spiraling around the stem. Arranged singly and spirally along the stem, rather than in pairs or directly opposite each other. Although, it may appear that 3 leaves closely sprout from a node at a time, nearer the terminal top.
All veins form an alternating network on either side of the midvein, thus the venation is reticulate-pinnate.
Felty in texture from all the small hairs that cover the lamina, they’re soft and smooth!
There are no stipules, so they are exstipulate, and each flower bud is accompanied by 2 new leaf buds on each side
And so, it’s quite apparent that the Datura innoxia is a beautifully helpful and hurtful plant from the Solanaceae family that is sure to bring benefit and detriment to the world for years to come.
Just for fun - Another Solanaceae - the Tomatillo!
Special thanks to Dr. Leslie Day at NYBG for her great knowledge and guidance in making this project possible.