Hi everyone, Happy newyear! My best friend brought home some seeds from Namibia (Africa) to me. Can any of you experts ID it? Best regards lufthoved
It definitely looks like Datura may also be Datura wrightii. Highly toxic, I remember when I was younger there were several reports about teenagers making up concoctions and not surviving. My brother-in-law moved into a house which has the smallest backyard and it has 4 large Brugsmansia (close relative of Datura) trees in it. The overpowering scent when they are in full bloom doesn't take long to get you light headed and give you a headache if you stay out there for too long.
Thanks poetry for the quick answer :-) Unfortunately I'm not able to see the article you cited :-( Chungii: So you think its impossible for an indoor plant? Did it smell bad or just very intense? Togata: sorry, what do you mean?
In the US there is a government agency called APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) from whom one obtains permits for importation of plants, seeds, etc. From what I hear, the casual seed stuck in a pocket or seedling in a purse gets confiscated by the authorities. Don't know what the laws are in Denmark, but I'm sure that the importation of plants and plant products must be regulated somehow. Seems to me that your friend must have either filled out the right form, or was very lucky!
Tell you what if caught coming into Australia with seeds ,plant bits and piece even made up sealed food your for the high jump.!!!! Be it by post or through customs. Some of our best ferral runaways probably landed here in this way. Mind you many have come in legally too. Thinking of things like ivy, holly, and many grasses pampas included. Liz
Yeah--- it looks like Datura wrightii, known as Devil's Trumpet, jimsonweed. Hallucinogenic, poisonous, and perennial. Not quite the plant I would welcome with open arms!!!
It was just very intense, the Brugsmansia covered 3/4 of the yard and they are actual trees. Your Datura shouldn't grow into more than a medium shrub if left unpruned. I don't know how well it will handle indoor conditions though, it will definitely need a lot of light. Just don't leave it in reach of young ones. Try these two for I.d. and they both have a write up at the end on the toxins in the plant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Datura According to these sources it's fatal in large doses when taken for recreational use. Overdose generally occurs when people take extra because they have not realised the effect already taking place. Some people take longer to absorb the chemical which causes hallucinations and unknowly overdose. As for seed importing I have bought certified seed before from overseas but have found the odd place where seed is obtained in a less prefered method. It's easy to post them around witrhout being too obvious. I remember the Foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) seed being highly sort after when I first started in Nurseries and the trading of those went a bit silly. One bloke I knew swore he was going to make his fortune in Foxtail seed. (even now Foxtail palms are one of the higher priced palm even though nearly every production nursery in the warm areas would have lilterally 1000s of the plant in varying sizes). I can't get Adenium seed from a local grower any longer because they were getting supplied by family in Thailand. Although very vague on the subject I believe they were caught, they now grow bromeliad. Anyways whatever happens, someone is always going go to try sneaking around the laws.
By the way Australia has separate laws for each state for international plant sales and postage even intrastate laws! Movement of some plants in Queensland is restricted to specific areas, this is more so to stop disease and pests being spread. Especially our lovely fruit fly which no-one apparently wants. From doing a little selling myself a while back Tasmania and W.A. are the strictest with plant regulations.
Are all Datura known as Devil's Trumpet in your area Togata because I've always known them as Angel's Trumpet. I reckon the Devil would be a more appropriate association with this plant.
Lucifer/Satan was the top angel before he was cast out of heaven for pride issues. So...Devil...Angel...or both? Datura wrightii, sacred datura, jimsonweed, trumpet of angel/devil are all pretty much synonyms in my reference. Of any, I'd say "jimsonweed" is probably in most common usage 'round these parts.
Good point, never thought of it that way, the word Angel doesn't bring thoughts of the Devil into my mind.
Thank you everyone for your interesting comments. Im looking forward to telling my friend, that his kin gesture, almost cost him prison time :-) Happy newyear
It looks like Datura inoxia. Here is how to tell D. inoxia and D. wrightii apart: D. wrightii. Plant canescent. Corolla teeth at midpoint of each section (inter-acuminal lobules) extremely short (giving the appearance of a five-toothed flower), flower edge regularly-rounded, corolla upper portions may be tinged with purple or pale violet. D. inoxia. Plant pilose. Corolla teeth at midpoint of each section are larger (giving the appearance of a ten-toothed flower), flower edge wavy and show no color tinge at corolla edge (flower is solid white).
If you decide to propagate more Datura, let the flower bud drop, and a spiky seed head will form, providing dozens of seeds. The plant can grow 3 metres across and two metres tall in our northern maritime climate.
Re: Devil's Trumpets, Angel's Trumpets. Here in Ecuador, it's explained thusly. Datura are Devil's trumpets, because they open at the first light of the Morning Star, and bloom upwards (from Hell, I suppose.) Brugmansia are Angel's trumpets. They open at dawn and bloom downwards (from Heaven.) Real fanatics for this set of reasoning also point out that Datura only comes in one colour (for one fallen angel), and there are seven colours of Brug, each of which corresponds to one of the archangels.
Thanks Lorax:} kind of puts it in perspective looking at it that way. (I guess if you spent enough time playing with the plants you'd probably be seeing angels.)
