Vol.. III.] 



POTATO FAMILY. 

 10. DATURA L-. Sp. PI. 179. 1753. 



139 



Annual or perennial erect tall branching narcotic herbs, some tropical species shrubs or 

 trees, with alternate petioled entire sinuate-dentate or lobed leaves, and large solitary erect 

 short-peduncled white purple or violet flowers. Calyx elongated-tubular or prismatic, its 

 apex 5-cleft or spathe-like, in the following species circumscissle near the base which is per- 

 sistent and subtends the globose ovoid prickly capsule. Corolla funnelform, the limb 

 plaited, 5-lobed, the lobes broad, acumipate. Stamens included or little exserted; filaments 

 filiform, very long, inserted at or below the middle of the corolla-tube. Ovary 2-celled, or 

 falsely 4-celled; style filiform; stigma slightly 2-lobed. Capsule 4-valved from the top, or 

 bursting irregularly. [The Hindoo name, dhatura.] 



About 12 species, of wide geographic distribution. The following are introduced weeds. 



Glabrous or very sparingly pubescent; leaves lobed, calyx prismatic. 



Stem green; flowers white; lower prickles of the fruit shorter. i. D. Stramonium. 



Stem purple; flowers lavender or violet; prickles about equal. 2. D. Tatula. 



Finely glandular-pubescent; leaves entire; calyx tubular. 3. D. Metel. 



i. Datura Stramonium L,. Stramonium 



Thorn-Apple. (Fig. 



Jamestown or Jimson-weed. 

 3222.) 



Datura Stramonium L- Sp. PI. 179. 1753- 



Annual, glabrous or the young parts spar- 

 ingly pubescent; stem green, stout, i-5 

 high. Leaves thin, ovate in outline, acute 

 or acuminate at the apex, mostly narrowed 

 at the base, 3 / -8 / long, irregularly sinuate- 

 lobed, the lobes acute; petioles 1/-4/ long; 

 flowers white, about 4/ high, the limb i^'- 

 2 / broad; calyx prismatic, less than one-half 

 the length of the corolla; capsule ovoid, 

 densely prickly, about i' high, the lower 

 prickles commonly shorter than the upper. 



In fields and waste places, Nova Scotia to 

 Florida, west to Minnesota and Texas. Natur- 

 alized from tropical regions, probably from 

 Asia. June-Sept. Called also Fire-weed, and 

 Dewtry. 



2. Datura Tatula L,. Purple Thorn- 



Apple. Purple Stramonium. 



(Fig. 3223.) 



Datura Tatula L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 256. 1762. 



Similar to the preceding species but us- 

 ually a little more pubescent; stem com- 

 monly more slender, i-5 high, purple; 

 leaves almost like those of D. Stramonium, 

 but rather darker green or with a tinge of 

 purple; flowers about \' high, the limb 

 about 2 f broad, lavender colored or violet, or 

 the tube nearly white; capsule densely 

 prickly, all the longer prickles about equal. 



In fields and waste places, Ontario to Min- 

 nesota, south to southern New York, Florida 

 and Texas. Naturalized from tropical America. 

 May-Sept. 



