DAT 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



DAT 



437 



1. Datura Ferox; Rough Thornapple. Pericarps thorny, 

 erect, ovate ; the upper thorns very large, and convergent. 

 It seldom rises more than a foot and a half high, spreading 

 out into many branches. Fruit round, armed with very strong 

 sharp thorns: seeds black when ripe. Annual; flowering from 

 July to September ; and a native of China. This, and the 

 fourth and fifth species, may be raised by sowing the seeds 

 upon a gentle hot- bed in the spring, and treating them after- 

 wnrds in the same manner as the Marvel of Peru, and other 

 hardier kinds of annuals, transplanting them into the full 

 ground in the latter end of May : they will flower in July ; 

 and if some of the plants be placed in a glass case, will pro- 

 4ee ripe need in autumn. 



2. Datura Stramonium ; Common Thornapple. Pericarps 

 thorny, erect, ovate ; leaves ovate, smooth. Stem from one 

 to six feet in height, according to the soil, but seldom more 

 than two feet, round, smooth, dividing into many strong irre- 

 gular branches, which are hollow, and covered with a fine 

 down ; leaves from the forking of the stem and branches, sin- 

 gle, scarcely six inches long, petioled, pointed, deep green 

 on the upper surface, paler beneath, and on the edges, with 

 strong ribs or nerves, unequally sinuated, and toothed about 

 the edge, extending farther down the petiole on one side than 

 on the other ; flowers single from the axils, on short pedun- 

 cles, upright; calix pale green; corolla white ; seeds black- 

 ish. At night the leaves, particularly the upper ones, rise up 

 and inclose the flowers : these appear from July to Septem- 

 ber. Gerarde says, the Thornapple was brought in seed 

 from Constantinople. Mr. Miller thinks it was probably 

 first introduced from Italy or Spain. It is, however, now be- 

 come so common about London and other towns, as to appear 

 like a native plant, there being few gardens or dunghills 

 without it in summer. That it is a native of America, we 

 have however, the most undoubted proof ; for in the earth 

 brought with plants from various parts of that extensive 

 country, we are sure to have the Thornapple come up. Kalm 

 says, that it grows about all the villages, and that it and the 

 Phytolacca are the worst weeds that infest that continent. 

 Our old writers call it Thorny-apple of Peru. Gerarde de- 

 clares (hat he first "dispersed the seeds through this island, 

 and that he made great use of it in chirurgerie as well in burn- 

 ings and scaldings, as also in virulent and maligne ulcers, 

 apostemes, and such like." An ointment prepared from the 

 leaves gives ease in external inflammations and haemorrhoids, 

 being cooling and repelling. The leaves, stalks, and apple 

 of this plant, when smoked, has been found efficacious in 

 asthmatic and consumptive cases. The Edinburgh College 

 direct an extract from the leaves, which has been given with 

 great advantage for convulsions and epilepsies, in doses from 

 two to sixteen grains a day. These and the seeds, when in- 

 ternally given, are liable to bring on delirium, tremors, swell- 

 ing, itching, eruption, and inflammation on the skin. Baron 

 Stoerck informs us, that the juice pressed out of the fresh 

 plant, and inspissated to an extract, has been given in doses 

 from half a grain to the amount of a drachm every twenty- 

 four hours, in epileptic disorders, convulsions, and madness, 

 and proved to be a medicine of singular efficacy in those de- 

 plorable maladies, several persons being cured by it, whose 

 disorders were both violent and of long standing. Hill ob- 

 serves, that the leaves are used externally by the country 

 people, who lay them upon burns and inflammations ; but 

 this is not always safe. The root and seeds are of a sleeping 

 nature, and ought not to be taken internally ; opium itself 

 being considerably less dangerous. The whole of this plant 

 in powerfully narcotic and poisonous. This species is well 

 adapted to the large borders of pleasure-grounds, where it 



VOL. i. 37- 



will have a good effect, mixed with others of similar growth : 

 it is easily propagated ; for it is together with the next spe- 

 cies, very hardy, and if only permitted to seed, will furnish 

 a supply of plants for several years to come, for the seeds 

 will lie long in the ground, and when turned up to the 

 air, soon begin to vegetate. 



3. Datura Tutula ; Blue TkwnajipLe. Pericarps thorny, 

 erect, ovate ; leaves cordate, smoothed, toothed. This re- 

 sembles the common sort, but is twice the size ; stems pur- 

 plish, with white dots, divided at an acute angle, smooth, 

 and even ; corollas pale blue ; leaves more finely toothed, 

 and, if they be flatted, cordate. 



4. Datura Fastuosa ; Purple Thornapple. Pericarps tu- 

 berck-d, nodding, globular ; leaves ovate, angular. This 

 rises with a finely polished purple stock, four feet high, divid- 

 ing into several branches ; leaves large, smooth sinuated, on 

 pretty long footstalks. The flowers are produced at the di- 

 visions of the branches; they have large swelling tubes, which 

 spread very broad at the top, their brims having ten angles 

 each, ending in a long slender point ; they are of a beautiful 

 purple on their outside, and a satiny white within ; some of 

 them are single, others have two or three flowers, standing 

 one within another, and some are double, having four or five 

 petals within each other, of equal length, so as to appear a 

 full flower at the brim : they have an agreeable odour at 

 first, but if long smelt to, becomes less so, and are narcotic. 

 Native of Egypt, and the East Indies. For its propaga- 

 tion and culture, see the first species. 



5. Datura Metel ; Hairy Thornapple. Pericarps thorny, 

 nodding, globular ; leaves cordate, almost entire, pubescent. 

 It has a strong stem, three feet high, divided into many 

 woolly branches. The flowers have long tubes, which extend 

 beyond the bifid calix ; they then spread out very broad, 

 where the brim is divided into ten obtuse angles, and are of a 

 pure white above, but the tubes have a tincture of green 

 within ; they are succeeded by roundish fruit, closely co- 

 vered with thorns. Native of Asia, Africa, and the Canary 

 Islands. See the first species. 



6. Datura Arborea; Tree Thornapple. Pericarps smooth, 

 unarmed, nodding ; stem arboreous. It rises to the height 

 of twelve or fourteen feet, with a woody stalk, dividing into 

 several branches ; leaves oblique, six inches long, two inches 

 and a half broad in their widest part, growing narrower at 

 each end, downy, on long footstalks, which stand nearer to 

 one side than the other. The flowers come out at the divi- 

 sions of the branches ; they have aloose tubular calix, nearly 

 four inches long, which opens at the top on one side like 

 a spathe ; the tube of the flower is narrow ; but above, it 

 swells very large, nearly six inches in length, then spreads 

 open at the brim, where it is divided into five angles, which 

 terminate in very long points ; they are white, with some 

 longitudinal stripes of a pale yellow on their outside ; and are 

 succeeded by round smooth capsules, filled with kidney- 

 shaped seeds. Native of South America; and one of the 

 greatest ornaments to the gardens of Chili, where the inha- 

 bitants propagate it with great care. When the flowers are 

 fully blown, they make a fine appearance ; and a single tree 

 will perfume the air of a large garden. This and the seventh 

 species are both too tender to endure the open air of our 

 climate, and must be sheltered in the stove. 



7. Datura Larvis. Pericarps smooth, unarmed, erect ; 

 leaves smooth ; stem fistular, herbaceous ; corollas white. 

 Native of Africa ; flowering from July to September. 



8. Datura Innoxia. Pericarps ovate, nodding, set with 

 harmless spines ; leaves cordate, pubescent. This specie* 

 rises three or four feet high, with a purplish stem, dividing 



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