Omari Gates
Datura, also known as thornapple, is a poisonous weed that is widespread in Australia. The plant is native to the southern USA and Mexico but was introduced to Australia by European settlers in the mid-1800s. It is now considered a pest, particularly in Western Australia, where it is toxic to livestock and humans. Datura leichhardtii, a species of thorn apple in the genus Datura, was discovered in Australia by Ludwig Leichhardt in 1844 and was named by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1855. This species is widespread in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales. Datura stramonium, or common thornapple, is another species that is found widely in subtropical to temperate areas of Australia and occasionally in tropical and semi-arid regions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Species | Datura stramonium, Datura ferox, Datura leichhardtii, Datura wrightii, Datura inoxia, Datura metel, Datura inermis, Datura stramonium var. tatula, Datura tatula |
| Common names | Common thornapple, fierce thornapple, Mexican thornapple, hairy thornapple, downy thornapple, hoary thornapple |
| Height | Up to 2 metres |
| Stem colour | Green, purple-tinged or entirely purple |
| Leaves | Bright green, 8-35 cm long, 5-20 cm wide |
| Flowers | White, lilac, purple, or yellowish-white |
| Habitat | Warm and open locations, river flats, river banks, near stockyards, close to rivers and streams |
| Regions | Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory |
| Toxicity | Poisonous to livestock and humans |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Datura stramonium: a poisonous weed found near rivers and stockyards
- Datura leichhardtii: a species native to Queensland, NT, and NSW
- Common thornapple: a toxic plant found in semi-arid and subtropical areas
- Datura ferox: a variety of thornapple with shorter flowers and larger prickles
- Datura wrightii: a thornapple variety found in Western Australia
Datura stramonium: a poisonous weed found near rivers and stockyards
Datura stramonium, also known as thorn apple, jimsonweed, devil's trumpet, and angel's trumpet, is a poisonous weed that can be found in Australia. This plant is native to Central America but has been introduced to many world regions and is now considered a weed in Australia. It is a robust, bushy annual herb that can grow up to 2 meters tall, with hairless or sparsely hairy stems. The leaves are a dull light green, and the flowers are white to lavender.
Datura stramonium is often found in warm, open locations, particularly where the soil has been disturbed, such as along river flats and near stockyards. It can also be found in urban and rural areas, along roadsides, in cornfields, pastures, and dung-rich livestock enclosures. This weed is toxic to humans and animals, including livestock and pets, due to its content of tropane alkaloids, including atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine. These substances can cause anticholinergic syndrome, resulting in a range of toxic effects, including hallucinations, euphoria, and, in some cases, coma and seizures.
In Australia, Datura stramonium is widespread in Western Australia, where it is considered a pest. It has also been reported in Victoria, where it contaminated spinach crops in 2022, causing illness in around 200 people. The plant is attracted to disturbed soil and can tolerate arid conditions, making it well-adapted to river flats and other disturbed areas.
The weed is often found near stockyards and livestock enclosures, but it is seldom grazed by livestock due to its bitter taste, unpleasant smell, and spiny seed pods. However, accidental ingestion by livestock and pets can occur, leading to poisoning. Datura stramonium has also been intentionally ingested by humans, particularly teenagers, seeking its hallucinogenic and euphoric effects.
To control the spread of Datura stramonium, it is important to follow recommended control methods and use registered agricultural chemical products. Additionally, proper identification and eradication of the weed can help prevent contamination of crops and accidental ingestion by humans and animals.
Phillip Island: A Quick Escape from Melbourne
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Datura leichhardtii: a species native to Queensland, NT, and NSW
Datura leichhardtii, also known as Leichhardt's thorn apple, is a species of thorn apple in the genus Datura. It was first discovered by Ludwig Leichhardt in Australia in 1844 and was later named by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1855. While it is generally considered endemic to Australia, some believe it may have been introduced from the Americas.
Datura leichhardtii is widespread in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales. It thrives in warm, arid environments, particularly near rivers and streams. The plant grows into a bush, typically ranging from 1.5 to 3 feet tall. The stems are green and slightly furry, bearing inconspicuous yellowish-white flowers. The flowers are followed by spiny seed capsules approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.
All parts of the Datura leichhardtii plant contain dangerous levels of poison. Ingesting any part of the plant can be fatal to humans, livestock, and pets. The plant is characterised by its bitter taste and unpleasant smell, which naturally deters consumption by animals. Despite its toxicity, Datura leichhardtii, along with other Datura species, is considered a weed in some regions.
Due to its toxic nature and lack of ornamental value, Datura leichhardtii is not cultivated. In some places, it is even prohibited to buy, sell, or cultivate Datura plants. Control methods for this species of thorn apple can be found on the APVMA website, where it is listed as a pest.
Australia's Climate Change Policy: What's the Plan?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Common thornapple: a toxic plant found in semi-arid and subtropical areas
Common thornapple, also known as Datura stramonium, is a poisonous flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae. It is an aggressive invasive weed in semi-arid and subtropical regions across the world, mainly in open, warm locations, particularly where the soil has been disturbed. It is a robust annual herb, growing up to 2 metres high, that is bushy, glabrous (without hairs or scales), or sparsely hairy with non-glandular hairs. Its leaves are generally a dull light green, 8-35 cm long and 5-20 cm wide, with margins that are deeply lobed and coarsely toothed or sinuate. The flowers are white to lavender, with a calyx that is usually 3-4 cm long and lobes that are 6-8 mm long. The seeds are held in thorny fruit that is held upright on the plant and can live in the soil for up to 40 years.
Common thornapple is native to Central America but has been introduced to many world regions, including Australia. In Australia, it is considered a pest and a weed in semi-arid and subtropical areas, particularly in Western Australia and New South Wales. It is toxic to humans, pets, and livestock, with all parts of the plant containing dangerous levels of poison and may be fatal if ingested. The seeds are the most toxic part of the plant, and children have been poisoned by sucking nectar from flowers and eating seeds. Touching the plant can also cause dermatitis, nausea, and headaches in some people.
The plant is seldom grazed by livestock because of its bitter taste, unpleasant smell, and spiny seed pods. However, animal deaths can occur when they eat contaminated hay, chaff, and silage. Thornapple also competes strongly with pasture plants for light and moisture. It grows, flowers, and seeds over the summer, given sufficient soil moisture, and spreads by seed, with each plant producing up to 30,000 seeds.
Control methods for common thornapple include herbicides, mulching, slashing, hand-pulling, or chipping. Preventing plants from seeding is the most effective way to control it. When managing this plant, it is important to wear personal protective clothing, including gloves and long sleeves.
Australian Wildlife: Species on the Brink of Extinction
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Datura ferox: a variety of thornapple with shorter flowers and larger prickles
Datura ferox, commonly known as fierce thorn apple, is a variety of thorn apple that is native to Australia. It is a poisonous weed that can be identified by its shorter flowers and larger prickles. This annual herb usually grows to a height of 1.5 to 3 feet (45 to 90 cm). Its thick stalks often have a red-violet colour at the base, and its young shoots are hairy. The most noticeable feature of the plant is its wide, undulating, irregularly toothed leaves, which are covered in soft, downy hair. The flowers of Datura ferox are funnel-shaped, yellowish-white, and inconspicuous, usually remaining closed. They are shorter than those of the common thorn apple (Datura stramonium), measuring 4-6 cm in length compared to the latter's 10 cm.
Datura ferox is a highly toxic plant, containing dangerous levels of tropane alkaloids. All parts of the plant are poisonous and may be fatal if ingested by humans, livestock, or pets. It is considered a noxious weed in several Australian states and other countries like South Africa and Kenya due to its harmful effects on humans, animals, and the environment. The plant is prohibited from being bought, sold, or cultivated in some places.
Datura ferox reproduces through seeds and can spread as a contaminant of crop seeds or grains. It is a competitive weed that aggressively invades fields and pastures, impacting agriculture. Control methods include digging up or removing the plant or spraying it with glyphosate, a herbicide.
Datura ferox is one of several Datura species found in Australia, including Datura stramonium (common thorn apple), Datura leichhardtii (Leichhardt's or Mexican thorn apple), Datura wrightii (hairy thorn apple), Datura inoxia (downy thorn apple), and Datura metel (hoary thorn apple). These species are widespread weeds in Western Australia and occur in scattered populations across the state. They are characterised by their vigorous growth in summer and preference for warm, subtropical regions with disturbed soil.
Exploring Newcastle, Australia: Size and All
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Datura wrightii: a thornapple variety found in Western Australia
Datura wrightii, commonly known as sacred datura, is a poisonous perennial plant species and ornamental flower native to the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is also found in Australia, where it has been recorded as a garden escapee in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. Datura wrightii is a variety of thornapple, a common name for Datura species that are widespread weeds in Western Australia. These plants are in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, and contain several poisonous alkaloids. They are seldom grazed by livestock because of their bitter taste, unpleasant smell, and spiny seed pods.
Datura wrightii is known for its striking flowers, which are sweetly fragrant white trumpets up to 20 cm long, sometimes tinted purple, especially at the margin. The plant grows as a ground vine, spreading in environments with full direct sunlight, such as cleared roadsides. It is often found on open or disturbed land with well-drained (sandy) soils. The leaves are broad and rounded at the base, tapering to a point, and often have wavy margins. The plant can grow to a height of 1.5 meters, with the leaves ranging from 8 to 35 cm long and 5 to 20 cm wide.
All parts of Datura wrightii contain dangerous levels of anticholinergic tropane alkaloids and may be fatal if ingested by humans, livestock, or pets. In some places, it is prohibited to buy, sell or cultivate these plants. Despite the dangers, Datura wrightii has been used by some Native American tribes for ceremonial and ritual purposes, often as a hallucinogen. The roots are considered the most potent part of the plant and have been used by the Zuni people as an anaesthetic during surgery and to induce hallucinations for spiritual challenges and divination.
The use of Datura wrightii can be dangerous and lead to serious health issues. The combination of anaesthesia and Datura, for example, can cause respiratory depression and is usually fatal. Other reported side effects include seizures and high fevers. Due to its toxic nature and bitter taste, Datura wrightii is considered a pest in Western Australia, and control methods are available through official channels for weed and pest management.
Crime Trends in Australia: A Changing Landscape
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Datura stramonium, also known as Common Thornapple, is a bushy annual herb that can be found in subtropical to temperate areas of Australia, and occasionally in tropical and semi-arid areas. It is widespread in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales. It can be found near rivers and streams, as well as in irrigated crops, pastures, waste land, stock yards, and on river banks.
Datura stramonium is a robust plant that can grow up to 1.2 meters high. It has bright green leaves and white to lavender tubular flowers. The stems are green, sometimes with a purple tinge or entirely purple. The leaves are alternately arranged along the stem and are oval to trowel-shaped, with deeply lobed margins.
Yes, there are several other species of Datura that can be found in Australia, including Datura ferox (Fierce Thornapple), Datura leichhardtii (Leichhardt's or Mexican Thornapple), Datura wrightii (Hairy Thornapple), Datura inoxia (Downy Thornapple), and Datura metel (Hoary Thornapple). These species are considered weeds and can be found in Western Australia and other parts of the country.
