THE NIGHTSHADE FAMILY 
— 
embraced at the base by the persistent calyx ; the stems are long and slender, sometimes spiny, 
arching, or straggling on other shrubs ; and the leaves are lance-shaped, smooth, often with small 
leaves in their axils. {Plate 22. 
Naturalised on the south and south-east coasts of England in hedges and waste places. June 
August. Perennial. 
IV. *DATURA. Linn. — Flowers usually large, white, purple, or red, solitary. Calyx of 5 sepals, 
united into a long 5-sided tube and separating into 5 short teeth, only the lower part of the tube 
remaining with the fruit, free from and inserted below the seedcase (inferior); corolla of 5 or 10 
petals, united into an angular funnel-shaped tube, with the same number of lobes, inserted below 
the seedcase (hypogynous) ; stamens 5, the anthers opening lengthwise by slits, inserted in the 
corolla-tube (epi-petalous) ; carpels 2 ; fruit a leathery, many-seeded capsule, generally prickly, 
2-celled, each cell being partially divided, opening at the top by 4 valves. Herbs or soft- 
wooded shrubs. 
*ThOPn Apple. (Datura Stramonium. Linn.)— The only species found in the 
British Isles, but an alien. As just described. The funnel-shaped flowers are very large, 
1 \-2 inches long, and are solitary in the axils of the uppermost leaves and the forks of the stem ; 
the capsule is roundish and is covered with numerous erect, pointed spines ; the thick fleshy stems 
are from 6 inches to 3 feet high ; and the leaves are large, egg-shaped, smooth, with irregular pointed 
teeth or lobes. 
The whole plant is poisonous, but, as is usual, the fruit with the seeds appears to be more deadly 
than the other parts, though it is in all respects a very dangerous species. Symptoms of poison 
have even been observed in people who have sat in a closed room in which have been flowers of 
the Thorn Apple, and instances of death from eating the seeds have occurred. Its principal use 
as a medicine is to relieve breathing in asthma cases, for which purpose cigarettes made of the 
dried leaves are sold. [ Plate 22. 
Not a native. Rare. In waste places and cultivated ground ; it has been found in various places 
throughout England, but does not persist in them. June — July. Perennial. 
V. HENBANE. (HYOSCYAMUS. Linn.) — Flowers yellow or whitish, often veined with purple, 
in 1 -sided clusters coiled in bud (scorpioid racemes). Calyx of 5 sepals, united into a tube and 
separating at the top into 5 lobes, remaining and increasing in size with the fruit (persistent), free 
from and inserted below the seedcase (inferior) ; corolla of 5 petals, funnel-shaped, united into a 
tube, and separating into 5 blunt rather unequal lobes ; stamens 5, the anthers splitting length- 
wise, inserted on the base of the calyx-tube (epi-petalous) ; carpels 2 ; fruit a dry 2-celled capsule, 
many-seeded, smooth, splitting in two crosswise and opening by the falling off of the short upper 
lid. Herbs with a powerful odour, often sticky. 
Common Henbane. (Hyosc^amus nigrep. Linn.)— The only British species. As just 
described. The funnel-shaped flowers are very striking, of a dingy yellow or cream, veined 
with dark purple, in i-sided clusters coiled in bud ; the lobes of the calyx are prickly ; the stamens 
have purple anthers ; the stems are 1-3 feet high, erect, and branched ; and the leaves are large, 
egg-shaped, and deeply toothed, those of the stem stalkless (sessile) and clasping the stem 
(amplexicaul), and those of the root stalked. The whole plant is sticky and hairy and has a most 
unpleasant smell. 
This species is extremely poisonous and narcotic and is used in medicine. [ Plate 22. 
Local. In waste places, dry sandy ground, near old castles ; generally distributed over England 
and Ireland, more rare in Scotland and not found in the north. May — August. Annual or biennial. 
