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Chinese thornapple, fierce thorn-apple

angel trumpet, angel's trumpet, jimson weed, sacred datura, sacred thorn-apple

Habit Herbs annual, to 10 dm. Herbs perennial, to 12 dm, roots tuberous.
Stems

puberulent, sometimes glabrescent.

usually canescent, sometimes glabrescent.

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, abaxial surface canescent (especially along veins), hairs appressed or curved, sometimes glandular, adaxial surface puberulent to glabrescent.

Flowers

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

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

calyx canescent along veins, tube cylindric, 5-toothed;

corolla white, sometimes tinged pale lavender, broadly funnelform, usually puberulent along veins, 14–26 cm, acuminate lobes alternating with smaller lobules.

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, puberulent, with prickles usually less than 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 wrightii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Cultivated fields, irrigation ditches, road and trail margins, waste places. Streamsides, irrigation ditches, road and trail margins, waste places, desert and desert-margin shrublands, grasslands.
Elevation 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.) 0–2100 m. (0–6900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; GA; NC; NV; NY; PA; occasional nearly worldwide [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; WV; WY; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Sonora) [Introduced nearly worldwide]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county 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 wrightii has been introduced worldwide both as an ornamental and unintentionally. In the flora area, it is native in Texas and possibly New Mexico. The combination D. innoxia subsp. quinquecuspida (Torrey) A. S. Barclay is an invalidly published synonym of D. wrightii.

(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. innoxia, D. metel, D. quercifolia, D. stramonium
Synonyms D. metel var. quinquecuspida
Name authority Linnaeus: Demonstr. Pl., 6. (1753) Regel: Gartenflora 8: 193, plate 260. (1859)
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