Datura

Datura is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Common names include Jimson weed, devil's trumpet, and thorn-apple. The genus comprises several species native to the Americas, with broader distribution in tropical and subtropical regions due to cultivation and escape.

Datura species are herbaceous annuals or short-lived perennials. They typically bear large, trumpet-shaped flowers that open in the evening, often white or pale purple, and have a strong scent. Leaves are large and irregularly lobed. The distinctive fruit is a spiny capsule (thorn apple) containing numerous seeds. Datura stramonium (thorn-apple) is the most widespread and commonly considered a weed; Datura innoxia and Datura metel are cultivated or naturalized elsewhere; Datura wrightii is native to the southwestern United States.

All parts of Datura contain tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine. Ingestion can cause delirium, tachycardia, mydriasis, seizures, and potentially death. Handling is not typically dangerous, but contact with skin or ingestion should be avoided, particularly by children and pets.

Historically, Datura has been used in traditional medicine and shamanic practices. Some alkaloids derived from Datura are used in modern medicine as anticholinergic drugs (e.g., atropine for pupil dilation, scopolamine for motion sickness), but preparations are highly controlled due to toxicity.

The plant attracts pollinators such as moths; flowers open at night. It is often considered an invasive weed in parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe, and is managed to prevent accidental ingestion. Distinguishing from Brugmansia, Datura species have upright, erect flowers; Brugmansia have pendulous, trumpet-shaped flowers and are generally woody shrubs.