THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 51 



c/ilorant/ui hut it sems doubt fully distinct t'roiii D. fastuosa. 

 It is likely that a nuiiihcr of other \arieties of this species may 

 ha\e distinguishin<;- names in the dealers' lists. 



The Daturas are all plants of tropical and sub-tropical re- 

 i^ions and for this reason many species must be cultivated un- 

 der glass in the United States. In the warmer parts of the 

 world the plants are often shrubs or small trees and some of 

 these latter forms are frequently i)laced in the genus Bnig- 

 inaiisia. Tvv^o of these, Datura arborea and D. suaveolens, 

 are among the tree-like species and have great pendulous blos- 

 soms a foot or more long. Datura suaveolens is said to be 

 a native of Mexico and D. arborea of Peru and Chili, but they 

 are so much alike that they are distinguished with diffuculty 

 without the calyx. In suaveolens the calyx is tubular and five- 

 toothed ; in arborea it is spathe-like and not toothed. A 

 second Mexican species, D. cornigera, is rather like these but 

 never to be mistaken for them because it has a long spur pro- 

 duced from the calyx. The latter species is especiallv known 

 tor its strong fragrnace. A red-flower plant. D. sanguinea, 

 from Peru has smaller ordorless blossoms. 



There are possibly twenty-five different species in the 

 genu> Datura, widely scattered in the tropical regions. The 

 group belongs to the Solanaceae or Nightshade famil\- and 

 like its relatives has i)oisonous or narcotic properties. Xone 

 however, are poisonous to the toucii. They are harmful (jnly 

 when eaten and the nauseous tast^ should prevent experiments 

 in this direction. The leaves of Datura straiuouuiii are often 

 smoked to relieve asthma and this species still retains a place 

 in the Materia Medica. Other species are used to produce 

 a sort of intoxication and D. ineteloiites is use<l in the religi- 

 ous ceremonies of the Indians of our own Southwest and as 



