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Chinese thornapple, fierce thorn-apple

angel's-trumpet, downy thorn-apple, Indian-apple, pricklyburr

Habit Herbs annual, to 10 dm. Herbs perennial, to 10 dm, roots tuberous.
Stems

puberulent, sometimes glabrescent.

usually villous-pubescent, sometimes glabrous.

Leaf

blades broadly ovate, to 13 × 8 cm, margins usually sinuate-dentate, sometimes pinnately lobed, surfaces glabrescent.

blades ovate, to 22 × 16 cm, margins entire or irregularly sinuate-dentate, surfaces villous to glabrescent, (trichomes spreading, often more dense along veins, sometimes glandular).

Flowers

calyx with minute pubescence along veins, tube cylindric, 5-toothed;

corolla white, trumpet-shaped, 4–6 cm, acuminate lobes alternating with sinuses.

calyx villous along veins, hairs spreading, tube cylindric, 5-toothed;

corolla white, sometimes lavender- or purple-tinged, funnelform, 10–22 cm, sparsely hairy, glabrescent, acuminate lobes alternating with lobules of similar size.

Capsules

erect, dehiscent by 4 valves, pericarp dry, sparsely hairy, with prickles unequal, some 15+ mm, proximals shorter than distals;

calyx remnant not accrescent.

pendent, irregularly dehiscent, pericarp fleshy, hairy, with prickles 10 mm;

calyx remnant slightly accrescent.

Seeds

black, 4–4.5 mm, convex marginal ridge absent, testa rugose;

caruncle absent.

brown, 4–6 mm, convex marginal ridge present, testa smooth;

caruncle present.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Datura ferox

Datura innoxia

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Cultivated fields, irrigation ditches, road and trail margins, waste places. Streamsides, road and trail margins, waste places, desert shrublands, grasslands.
Elevation 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.) 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; GA; NC; NV; NY; PA; occasional nearly worldwide [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; WI; WV; ON; QC; SK; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; n South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela) [Introduced nearly worldwide]
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

The origin and native status of Datura ferox is unresolved, although China has been cited as the country of origin since Linnaeus. The most extensive phytogeographic distribution of this species is in northern Argentina. Its association with ship ballast and seed stock of monocultural crops may explain its local abundance when introduced.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Datura innoxia is native to Texas and possibly New Mexico. Elsewhere in the flora area, it is widely introduced as an ornamental and, inadvertently, as a weed.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Datura Solanaceae > Datura
Sibling taxa
D. ceratocaula, D. discolor, D. innoxia, D. metel, D. quercifolia, D. stramonium, D. wrightii
D. ceratocaula, D. discolor, D. ferox, D. metel, D. quercifolia, D. stramonium, D. wrightii
Synonyms D. meteloides
Name authority Linnaeus: Demonstr. Pl., 6. (1753) Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Datura no. 5. (1768) — (as inoxia)
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