The specific name was originally spelled 'inoxia' by the author Miller. However, this was a mis-spelling since the wordis is based on the adjective 'noxia' combined with the prefix 'in', which is an inseparable particle prefixed to an adjective in order to reverse the meaning. Thus the correct form of the compound is 'innoxia', which is the correct form to use under Art. 60.1.

Common Name: Downy Thorn Apple

General Information

Datura innoxia is an annual plant growing about 1 metre tall.
The plant is gathered from the wild and used locally for its various medicinal properties. It is a commercial source of the alkaloid scopolamine, which is used in the pharmaceutical industry[].

Known Hazards

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

Botanical References

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Range

South-western N. America to Central America.

Habitat

Sandy or gravelly dry open places at elevations below 1,200 metres in California[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of subtropical to tropical areas. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c[]. Plants can be grown outdoors in the temperate zone as half-hardy annuals, starting the seed off in a greenhouse.
Prefers a rich light sandy soil[] and an open sunny position[]. It is best grown in a fertile calcareous soil[].
This species is a commercial source of the alkaloid scopolamine, used in the pharmaceutical industry[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - ground up and mixed with clay[] ( the clay probably has a neutralizing effect on the toxins). A very toxic plant, its use as a food cannot be recommended[]. The fruit is up to 5cm long and 7cm wide[].

A stupefying beverage is made from the leaves and roots[].

Medicinal

All parts of the plant are anodyne, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic and narcotic[, ]. It has been used in the past as a pain killer and also in the treatment of insanity, fevers with catarrh, diarrhoea and skin diseases[]. The plant contains several alkaloids, the most active of which is scopolamine[]. This is a potent cholinergic-blocking hallucinogen, which has been used to calm schizoid patients[]. The leaves contain 0.52% scopolamine, the calices 1.08%, the stems 0.3%, the roots 0.39%, the fruits 0.77%, the capsules 0.33%, the seeds 0.44% and the whole plant 0.52 - 0.62%[]. Any use of this plant should be with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner since the toxic dose is very close to the medicinal dose.

Agroforestry Uses:

Datura species are 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[].

Other Uses

None known

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.