Datura innoxia Mill.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Plant up to 1 m or more tall, densely pubescent with spreading glandular hairs

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petiole c. 1–6 cm long; leaf-blade ± broadly ovate, 7–18 x 5–15 cm, asymmetrical and broadly cuneate to truncate at the base, acute at the apex, with subentire to irregularly dentate margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 8–10 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or cream, 15–18 cm long, lobes mucronate at the apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers c. 10 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules nodding, globose or ovoid, 3–5 cm in diam., densely covered with slender pubescent prickles, irregularly dehiscent at apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brown, c. 4–5 mm long.

Distribution

N1; S1–3 native of America, now widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions.

Ecology

Altitude range 0–1300 m.

Vernacular

Booc madow (Somali)

Solanaceae, Jennifer M Edmonds. Oliganthes, Melongena & Monodolichopus, Maria S. Vorontsova & Sandra Knapp. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2012

Type

Type: cultivated Chelsea Physic Garden from seeds collected in Veracruz, Miller s.n. (BM!, neo., designated by Barclay in Bot. Mus. Leafl. Harv. Univ. 18: 255 (1959), based on the original listing of the specimen in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 51: 99, no. 1843 (1760)

Morphology General Habit

Annual or semiperennial herbs 0.3–1.5 m tall and 2 m wide, erect or spreading, often malodorous.

Morphology Branches

Branches smooth, violet, greyish-green or -brown, sometimes much-branched or becoming woody, velutinous to naked eye and usually viscid, villous/pilose usually predominantly glandular-headed, denser on young stems

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, ovate-lanceolate to rhomboidal, (4–)8–15 × (3.2–)6–11 cm, bases usually obliquely cuneate, margins sinuate, with up to 3 shallow obtuse lobes, apices acute or acute/obtuse, young leaves densely villous/pilose becoming moderately pilose, especially dense on lower surfaces, midribs and veins; petioles (3–)6–10.5 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary, axillary, erect; pedicels (3–)6–8(–10) mm and erect in flower, elongating to 10–35 mm in fruit when pendulous, densely villous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cylindrical becoming slightly bulbous centrally, moderately pilose externally, hairs glandular and eglandular, 7.8–11 × 1.1–2.2 cm, lobes narrowly triangular, 0.9–2.2 × 0.5–0.8 cm, apices acute, with dense hairs on the margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, sometimes cream or pale yellow with prominent venation, tubular below becoming funnel- or trumpetshaped above, sometimes double or triple, 14.5–19 cm long, glabrescent externally; tube 7–10 mm broad at base, usually with 5 terminal acuminate to caudate teeth ± 6 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens with filaments free for 3.6–6 cm; anthers oblong, yellow, (8–)10–11 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary ovoid, dark brown, 6–7 mm long, softly spinose; style 10–14.8 cm long; stigma ± 3 mm diameter

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit pendulous, broadly ovoid or globose brownish capsules, 2.5–4.5 × 2.5–5.5(–6) cm (including the spines), dehiscencing irregularly or by 2 valves; valves covered with sharply pointed equal and often greenish spines, 4–12 × ± 0.7 mm basally, densely villous/pilose throughout with spreading glandular and eglandular hairs; subtended by the persistent cupular remains of the calyx 1.4–2 cm deep and 2.8–4.5(–6) mm diameter, with dense short glandular and eglandular hairs internally; fruiting pedicels elongated, stout, pilose/villous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pale brown to brown, reniform, 4–5 × 3.5–4.5 mm with lateral ridge, foveolate, with creamish elaisome

Figures

Fig 8/6–10, p 41

Ecology

Usually along rivers, occasionally on disturbed soil in ruderal sites; 300–700 m

Conservation

Widespread; least concern (LC)

Note

Datura innoxia is sometimes known as the Downy Thorn Apple, especially in Europe. It is the rarer of the three Datura species found in East Africa and is another important source of tropane alkaloids, and known for both its toxic and medicinal properties. Heine (F.T.W.A., 2nd. Ed: 326 (1963)) considered the spelling of inoxia as used by Miller l.c. and subsequent authors to be an orthographic error. Miller apparently based this epithet on the pre-Linnean polynomial of Boerhaave (Ind. alt. hort. Acad. Lugd.-Bat.,1: 262 (1720)) in which the correct spelling of innoxia was used (Heine l.c.). Heine’s decision has therefore been adopted here. The typification of D. innoxia is dealt with by Barclay in Bot. Mus. Leafl. Harvard Univ. 18: 254 (1959). The species D. metaloides Dunal (DC., Prodr. 13(1): 544 (1852)), [which is cited as D. meteloides (DC. MSS) Novae Hispaniae region. D. metel Moc. & See., pl. Mex. ined. ic. et mss. t. 919 collect transl. Candoll.] has been variously treated as a synonym of D. innoxia (e.g. Barclay, 1959) or as a distinct species (e.g. Safford (1921) and Satina & Avery (1959)). In line with Haegi’s (in Austr. Journ. Bot., 24: 422 (1976)) opinion that more work is required on the typification of this taxon, it has been omitted from list of synonyms.

Distribution

Flora districts: K7 T3 Range: Native to tropical America, cultivated as an ornamental and now a widespread weed throughout the tropics

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

chamico, mata de San Pedro

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 8, Part 4. Solanaceae. Gonçalves AE. 2005

Type

Type: a specimen of Miller (?BM) of a plant cultivated in the Chelsea Physic Garden, London (England), raised from seeds sent probably by Houstoun from Vera Cruz (Mexico).

Morphology General Habit

Erect or ascending to sprawling herb or small shrub, 0.3–1. 6(2) m high, unpleasantly scented, often tinged purplish

Morphology Branches

Branches striate and ± sulcate, densely and softly pubescent and ± glandular

Morphology Leaves

Leaves solitary, the upper ones geminate; petiole (0.6)1–7(9.5) cm long; lamina membranous or papyraceous, 4–17 × (1. 6)2.5–9.5 cm, broadly to narrowly ovate, occasionally rhombic, elliptic or ± oblong, base truncate or rounded to cuneate, occasionally ± cordate, and oblique to dimidiate, often ± decurrent into the petiole, apex acute to shortly acuminate, entire or sinuate to coarsely dentate or lobed with few, irregular, broadly triangular, obtuse or sub-acute teeth or lobes, ± pubescent, more densely so beneath especially towards the base, at or near the margins and on the nerves, ± glandular, the lateral nerves looped within the margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary, inserted in the fork of the branches, at first erect, later drooping.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicel (4)8–16 mm long, stout, densely pubescent and ± glandular, in fruit elongated to 20(45) mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx sometimes purplish downwards, 7.5–11. 5 × 1. 2–2 cm, ± densely shortly pubescent to tomentose-villous mainly on the nerves and towards the base, more densely so on the lobes near and at the margins, and also towards the apex on the inside, drying with prominent longitudinal nerves; tube often somewhat inflated downwards and narrowed upwards; lobes subequal or unequal, and then often one larger than the other 4, 0.8–2.5 × 0.3–1 cm, ovate- to linear-triangular, ± acute to narrowly long-acuminate; in fruit much accrescent with the venose flange up to 20 mm wide, reflexed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or creamy, occasionally slightly tinged purple, lavender or violet, 13.5–21 cm long, trumpet-shaped to ± tubular, simple, glabrous or with few scattered hairs along the longitudinal nerves; tube narrow, filling the calyx for half or more of its length, with few, short and relatively wide hairs scattered below on the staminal region within; limb (3)5–11(13) cm across, 10(12)-lobed; lobes ± triangular with a wider base and ± narrowing to the apex into an acute to long-acuminate tip up to 11 mm long, often curved, usually 5(6) shorter, acute at the apex, alternating with 5(6) longer, ± long-acuminate at the apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5, included; filaments adnate to above the middle of the corolla tube and glabrous or with a few, short, relatively wide hairs, free upwards for 3.5–6 cm and usually glabrous; anthers 8–14 mm long, linear or ± oblong in outline

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary up to 6 × 5 mm, ovoid, with fleshy, slender and long appendages on the surface, finely pubescent and ± glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style (8.5)9.5–14(16.5) cm long, straight, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit nodding or pendulous, brownish when ripe, (3.5)4–6 × 3.5–5.5 cm including spines, ovoid or ± globose, rather thin-walled, densely covered with numerous, slender, ± acicular spines 8–12 mm long, finely pubescent all over, irregularly breaking up

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds yellowish-brown or brown, (4)4.5–5 × 3.2–3.5(4) × 1–1. 2 mm, ± reniform, strongly thickened and longitudinally ridged at the border, finely reticulate, foveolate; caruncle fleshy

Note

Widely confused with D. metel L. Cultivated as a garden ornamental and also for medicinal purposes. A widespread and common weed of cultivation and disturbed ground. Chromosome number: 2n=24

Distribution

BOT N, BOT SE, ZIM N, ZIM E, MAL S, MOZ T, MOZ MS Native to tropical (Central or South) America, now widely naturalized in the tropics and subtropics. Malawi Mozambique Zimbabwe Botswana.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Caribbean. Elevation range: 50–800 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Magdalena.

Habit

Herb, Shrub.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Chamico, Malaatapui, Ñongué

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident