CLASS V. ORDER I. 83 



90. DATURA. 

 Datura stramonium. L. Thorn Apple. 



American Medical Botany, PI. i. 



Capsules thorny, erect, ovate; leaves ovale, angu- 

 lar, smooth. 



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 

 sinuated 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. 

 Calyx composed of one leaf, tubular, with five angles, and five 

 teeth, deciduous 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 grow- 

 ing to the tube by their filaments, with oblong, erect anthers. 

 Germ superior, 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 occupies 

 the centre of each cell. — Among rubbish. — August, September. — 

 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 

 tatula, 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 

 simply from the variation of color. The sensible qualities of the 

 two varieties are the same. 



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

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

 has acquired great reputation. 



