plant ID- prob sacred datura

Need help to ID this plant.
Zone 4+
It was growing on big mounds of broken glass (from a recycling plant) with lots of squash, tomatoes and melons !! Nobody knows why ?

Thanks

JS

Hi JS -

Never seen or heard of it before, but did a little internet sleuthing.

Could it be sacred datura?

See this google images search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sacred+datura&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zYRXUpHkEval4AOpsYDADQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=622&dpr=1

And here's a link to Wikipedia article on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_wrightii

Some of the pictures show a mounding habit.

Good luck with the ID. Maybe someone else here knows either your plant or sacred datura, and can confirm or deny this is a match?

Thanks for the puzzle!
Mariamne

Looks like Jimson Weed . Datura stramonium . Definitely do not eat . But very beautiful .

yup, datura/jimson weed.

psychotropic, but not hard to get a lethal dose


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1062165/

Momoy
Momoy, Datura wrightii or Californian jimson weed, was used by sucking on part of a leaf to protect the spirit (4–6). However, it can be used in other ways to help with spiritual healing. Momoy is the Chumash name for the plant. Some patients, who do not listen well, need to breathe the aroma of the crushed stems. This opens up their breathing passages and their ears. When patients live with too much stress from jobs and relationships, they may find it difficult to take a moment to rest and breathe. Momoy helps them breathe and in general opens them to listening to God and healing.

Some patients need to soak their feet in solutions made from momoy. This is especially true of domineering people, who may be very decent, but are basically mean. The roots or stems of momoy, ~0.25 kg, are fermented in the sun in ~1 l of water for 3 days. The fluid is then heated on the stove to body temperature, or slightly warmer. The patient may then soak their feet for ~15 min. Some patients may need to soak their feet every night for a week before bed. This may help them relax and become receptive to God.

Momoy contains atropine, scopolamine and other compounds (9). This plant has been used as a way of inducing sacred dreams in order to talk to God. The dose that causes a sacred dream, hallucination, is very close to the dose that inhibits breathing. This makes the plant very dangerous. In addition, scopolamine crosses the blood–brain barrier slowly and may not penetrate adequately until up to 13 h. This makes using momoy for induction of sacred dreams very dangerous. The seeds contain ~0.1 mg of atropine and 0.05 mg of scopolamine each (4). As few as seven seeds have resulted in poisoning leading to hospitalization. Death may occur with blood levels of 47 ng/ml of atropine and 21 ng/ml of scopolamine, or urine levels of 200 ng/ml of atropine and 95 ng/ml of scopolamine. However, it is safe to use momoy for aromatherapy or as a foot soak. Momoy should also be used as part of Chumash religious practices, as protected by religious freedom laws, provided that its dangers are well understood.

I have to agree it might be sacred datura - they look so much alike .

I grow the related daturas / brugmansias, very beautiful plants. The typical name I hear is "angel trumpets", regardless if it is datura or brugmansia.

The flowers have an intoxicating otherworldly scent. A very powerful medicinal plant if used correctly, extremely dangerous if not.

Wow!!! Thanks for the education, all!

Thanks JS, for posting!

Mariamne

I have this Brugmansia in the garden. We have to remove it as its starting to affect the roof of a shed that its covering.
Just wondering if anyone knows if it can be used for mulch or say in a Hugelbed as its toxic and poisonous. If not do you burn it?

Thanks!

Hi Somesh,

That doesn't look like a Brugmansia to me - I've only ever seen a Datura once but from what I know I think that's what you've got. Brugmansia's are trees with downward growing flowers, all the ones that grow here are anyway.

I imagine there wouldn't be any issue with mulching it from a poison perspective. The chemical that makes it poisonous is Atropine, this slows the heart or stops it if you take too much. I can't say 100% but I doubt that this would affect other plants or pose any risk of getting absorbed by others. One thing to take in to mind (at least with Brugmansia) is that they are listed as a hyperaccumulator , I've read that Brugmansia take up heavy metals from the soil - there aren't any details on wikipedia what exactly they take up. If you have contaminants in your soil the Brugmansia may have concentrated them and so mulching it could lead to you releasing them again.

Matt.