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

Chinese thornapple, fierce thorn-apple

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

usually canescent, sometimes glabrescent.

puberulent, sometimes glabrescent.

Leaf

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.

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

Flowers

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.

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

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

Capsules

pendent, irregularly dehiscent, pericarp fleshy, puberulent, with prickles usually less than 10 mm;

calyx remnant slightly accrescent.

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

calyx remnant not accrescent.

Seeds

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

caruncle present.

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

caruncle absent.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Datura wrightii

Datura ferox

Phenology Flowering Jun–Oct. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Streamsides, irrigation ditches, road and trail margins, waste places, desert and desert-margin shrublands, grasslands. Cultivated fields, irrigation ditches, road and trail margins, waste places.
Elevation 0–2100 m. (0–6900 ft.) 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.)
Distribution
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]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; GA; NC; NV; NY; PA; occasional nearly worldwide [Introduced in North America]
Discussion

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.)

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.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Datura Solanaceae > Datura
Sibling taxa
D. ceratocaula, D. discolor, D. ferox, D. innoxia, D. metel, D. quercifolia, D. stramonium
D. ceratocaula, D. discolor, D. innoxia, D. metel, D. quercifolia, D. stramonium, D. wrightii
Synonyms D. metel var. quinquecuspida
Name authority Regel: Gartenflora 8: 193, plate 260. (1859) Linnaeus: Demonstr. Pl., 6. (1753)
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