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Common Name: Thorn Apple

General Information

Datura stramonium is an annual plant that can grow up to 1.50 metres tall.
It has medicinal and miscellaneous uses.

Known Hazards

All members of this genus contain narcotics and are very poisonous, even in small doses[].

Botanical References

Range

Original habitat is obscure, it is found in many areas of the world, occasionally in S. Britain[].

Habitat

Dry waste ground and amongst rubble or the ruins of old buildings[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Moths
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most moderately good soils but prefers a rich light sandy soil or a calcareous loam, and an open sunny position[, , ].
Plants often self-sow when well sited[].
The thornapple is cultivated commercially as a medicinal plant[]. It can become a weed in suitable conditions and is subject to statutory control in some countries[].
This species is extremely susceptible to the various viruses that afflict the potato family (Solanaceae), it can act as a centre of infection so should not be grown near potatoes or tomatoes[].
Grows well with pumpkins[].
The whole plant gives off a nauseating stench[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The thornapple is a bitter narcotic plant that relieves pain and encourages healing[]. It has a long history of use as a herbal medicine, though it is very poisonous and should be used with extreme caution. The use of this plant is subject to legal restrictions in some countries[].

The leaves, flowering tops and seeds are anodyne, antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic, mydriatic and narcotic[, , , , , , , , , ]. The seeds are the most active medicinally[]. The plant is used internally in the treatment of asthma and Parkinson's disease, excess causes giddiness, dry mouth, hallucinations and coma[].
Externally, it is used as a poultice or wash in the treatment of fistulas, abscesses wounds and severe neuralgia[, ].
It should be used with extreme caution and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner since all parts of the plant are very poisonous and the difference between a medicinal dose and a toxic dose is very small[, , ].
The leaves should be harvested when the plant is in full flower, they are then dried for later use[].

The leaves can be used as a very powerful mind-altering drug, they contain hyoscyamine and atropine[]. There are also traces of scopolamine, a potent cholinergic-blocking hallucinogen, which has been used to calm schizoid patients[]. Atropine dilates the pupils and is used in eye surgery[].
The leaves have been smoked as an antispasmodic in the treatment for asthma, though this practice is extremely dangerous[, ].

The seeds are used in Tibetan medicine, they are said to have a bitter and acrid taste with a cooling and very poisonous potency[]. Analgesic, anthelmintic and anti-inflammatory, they are used in the treatment of stomach and intestinal pain due to worm infestation, toothache and fever from inflammations[].

The juice of the fruit is applied to the scalp to treat dandruff[].

Other Uses

The growing plant is said to protect neighbouring plants from insects[, ].
The juice of the fruits is applied to the scalp to cure dandruff and falling hair[].

Propagation

Sow the seed in individual pots in early spring in a greenhouse[]. Put 3 or 4 seeds in each pot and thin if necessary to the best plant. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 15°c. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Especially in areas with hot summers, it is worthwhile trying a sowing outdoors in situ in mid to late spring.