THORN-APPLE. 309 



sown on a rich soil, the plants grow to a great 

 size, which renders them unsuitable for the flower 

 borders, but amongst flowering shrubs it has a 

 good eflTect, both by its large foliage and its long 

 tubular flowers, which appear from July to Sep- 

 tember. In the natural history of the Stramo- 

 nium, this singular provision of nature is ob- 

 served, that at night the leaves nearest the flow- 

 ers rise up and enclose them, so as to form a 

 shelter from the humidity of the air. 



The generic name of Datura, by which this 

 plant is known throughout Europe,^ is the original 

 name by which it was received from the Turks. 

 It is called Thorn-apple from the nature of its 

 fruit. 



Nicolaus Monardes, a Spanish physician, tells 

 us in his work published in 1564, that he re- 

 ceived the first seeds of this plant from Peru, 

 under the Indian name of Cachos, and that it 

 came strongly recommended to him as a medici- 

 nal plant, which the Indians, as w^ell as the 

 Spaniards, in Peru, held in high estimation. 



The Purple Thorn-apple, Datura Fastuosa, of 

 which there is a variety with double flowers, is 

 much more desirable for the garden than the 

 common Stramonium. The flowers of this spe- 

 cies are of a fine purple on their outside, and of 



