DATURA
Datura
L., Sp. Pl. 179. 1753; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed 1: 372. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 330.
Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs; pubescence of simple hairs, sometimes hairs glandular. Leaves petiolate; leaf blade simple, entire or sinuate-dentate. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, large. solitary, in leaf axils or branch forks; peduncle, bracts and bracteoles absent; pedicel often stout. Calyx long, tubular or cylindric, herbaceous, 5-toothed, often circumscissile near base in fruit, upper part deciduous. Corolla elongated, funnelform, wide, plicate, entire or shortly-lobed, lobes 5, sometimes cuspidate or acuminate. Stamens 5, inserted near base of corolla tube, included; anthers mostly elongated, dehiscing longitudinally. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 2- or spuriously 4-celled, ovules many, placentas swollen, placentation axile; style filiform; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit a dry capsule, 4-valved or irregularly dehiscent, prickly or unarmed, often subtended by remnants of persistent calyx. Seeds numerous, laterally compressed.
14 species
Datura innoxia
Datura innoxia
Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8. no. 5. 1768; Stewart in Nasir & Ali, Fl. W. Pak. (Annot. Catal.) 639. 1972; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr) 2: t. 194. 1983; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist . 466. 1999; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 490. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 330.
Annual or perennial herb, erect or somewhat spreading, 0.5-1.3 m high, foetid, densely and softly tomentose, glandular. Leaves alternate, 6-20 cm x 4-12 cm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, base rounded or obtuse, often asymmetric, apex acute or acuminate, rarely subobtuse, margin entire or repand-toothed, deep bluish-green, minutely tomentose; petioles 2.5-8.5 cm long. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, large, white, solitary, usually axillary, erect, 12-16 cm long; pedicels 1-5 cm long. Calyx 7.5-8.5 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, cylindric or terete, 5- toothed; teeth 1-1.6 cm long, lanceolate, acuminate or long pointed; calyx densely pubescent without. Corolla ca. 15 cm long, funnelform, greenish proximally, white at apex; tube ca. 8 cm long and throat ca. 7 cm long; limb 5-lobed or 5-lobed and 10- toothed; lobes ca. 1 cm long, triangular, apex mucronate, hairy, folding at angles, margin pubescent. Stamens 5, inserted in corolla tube, ca. 14 cm long (free part of filament ca. 5 cm long); anthers 10 mm x 2.5 mm, oblong, basifixed, margin ciliate, reaching throat. Disc annular. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary ca. 6 mm long, softly spinose, 2-locular, many ovules per loculus, placenta swollen, placentation axile; style filiform, ca. 13 cm long; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule 4-5 cm in diameter, globose or ovoid, inclined, densely armed with slender, subequal, spines, spines 4-11 mm long, pubescent with white hairs, dehiscing irregularly. Seeds numerous, brown, discoid- reniform, 3-5 mm in diameter.
Common Names: Datura, Prickly Burr, Recurved Thorn-apple, Downy Thorn-apple, Indian-apple; Safed Datura (Hindi)
