352 



GUNUS rV. DATURA. 

 Pentandrla monog'ynla. Sex: Spiii 



Periv. Altered from the Arabic name Tatar ah. 



Gen. Chae. Calyx tubular, often angled, 5-clefl; at the apex or 

 sometimes longitudinally cleft, cut round above the peltate per- 

 sistent base, the cut portion deciduous : corolla fiinnel-shaped, 

 limb spreading, enlarged, plicate, 5-toothed : stamens inserted on 

 the tube of the corolla, included or slightly exserted, anthers de- 

 hiscing lengthwise : ovary incompletely 4.celled, one dissepiment 

 deliquescent above the middle, the other complete placentiferous, 

 placentas many-ovuled : style simple, stigma bilamellate : cap- 

 sides ovate or subglobose, mnricated or prickly, half-four-celled, 

 incompletely 4-valved at the divisions ; seeds many, reniform, 

 testa sometimes crustaceous and hard, or corky, very thick. — ■ 

 Annual or perennial herbs, fetid and poisonous, sometimes suBru- 

 tescent or arborescent : leaves petioled, oblong or ovate, often 

 angularly toothed : flowers axillary, solitary, often large, white, 

 violet or carmine. 



(1) D. ALBA. fNees. ab. Esenp.) 



Ident. Nees. ab. Es. in trans. Linn. 17. p. 73. — Dec. prod. 

 XIII. p. 1. 541. 



Syn. Datura Metel, Roseb. 



Engrav. Wight's Icon. t. 852. — Rutttph. Amb. V. t. 87. f. 2. 

 — Rheede Mai. II. t. 28. 



Spec Char. Shrub : leaves ovate-acuminate, repand-dentate, 

 unequal at the base, smooth : stems herbaceous : capsules nodding, 

 covered with prickles : flowers very large, white. 



A common and well-known plant, of which there are several 

 varieties. It flowers the whole year. 



(2) D. NlLHUMMATU. (DuU. ) 



Ident. Dunal in Dec. prod. XIII. p. 1. p. 542. — Dalz. Bomb. 

 Apr. p. 



Syn. D. hummatu, Bernh. in Linn. 



Spec Char. Shrub : leaves smooth : calyx with five angles : 

 corolla often double and treble : flower violet-coloured outside, 

 white within : fruit tubercled. 



Almost as common as the preceding. 



