80 Class V. Order I. 



Stem erect, simple at bottom, much branched at top by re- 

 peated forks, smooth or slightly pubescent, hollow in the large 

 plants, often solid in small ones. Leaves given off from the forks 

 of the stem, five or six inches long, acute, irregularly sinualed 

 and toothed, with large acute teeth and round sinuses, the sides 

 of the base extending unequally down the petiole. Flowers 

 single, axillary, on short stalks, erect or nodding. Calix com- 

 posed of one leaf, tubular, with five angles, and five teeth, de- 

 ciduous by breaking off from its base. Corolla funnel shaped 

 with a long tube, five angled, its margin waved and folded, and 

 terminating in five acuminate teeth. Stamens growing to the 

 tube by their filaments, with oblong, erect anthers. Germ supe- 

 rior, hairy with the rudiments of spines, ovate ; style as long 

 as the stamens ; stigma obtuse, parted at base. Capsule as 

 large as a small hen's egg, ovate, fleshy, covered with thorns, 

 four valved, four celled, opening at top. Seeds numerous, reni- 

 form, black, attached to a longitudinal receptacle, which occu- 

 pies the centre of each cell. Among rubbish. August, Septem- 

 ber. Annual. 



A variety much more common than the last, and considerably 

 larger in size, has a uniformly hollow stem, purple, covered 

 with light dots ; the flowers light purple or blue, striped on the 

 inside. It answers in every respect to the description of Datura 

 iatula, as laid down in botanical books. I incline to think the 

 two species should be incorporated into one, if there are no bet- 

 ter discriminating marks than those usually laid down. The 

 dots in the purple cuticle of the American plant do not appear 

 to result from warts, or any inequalities in its structure, but sim- 

 ply from variation of colour. The sensible qualities of the two 

 varieties are the same. 



It must be remarked however, that both the plants here de- 

 scribed differ from the representations in the English Botany, 

 and in Woodville's Medical Botany ; 1st, in the form of the an- 

 thers, which are very oblong, four times longer than broad ; 2d. 

 in the stigma, the sides of which are parallel ; 3d, in the dissepi- 

 ment of the capsule which is thin, about one quarter the thick- 

 ness of the valves. 



The poisonous properties of this plant, as well as its applica- 

 tion to medicine, are well known. As a remedy in asthma it 

 has acquired great reputation. 



