Thorn apple / Jimson weed
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Datura Species: D. stramonium
Binomial name
Datura stramonium L.

Datura stramonium, known by the common names Jimson Weed, Gypsum Weed, Stink Weed, Loco Weed,Korean Morning Glory, Jamestown Weed, Thorn Apple, Angel's Trumpet, Devil's Trumpet, Devil's Snare, Devil's Seed, Mad Hatter, Crazy Tea, Malpitte, The Devil's Balls and, along with datura metel, Zombie Cucumber is a common weed in the Nightshade Family. It contains tropane alkaloids that are sometimes used as a hallucinogen. The active ingredients are atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine which are classified as deliriants, or anticholinergics. Due to extremely high risk of overdose, many deaths and hospitalizations are reported from recreational use. Image File history File links Koeh-051. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class of flowering plants. ... Families at least the following: Solanaceae Convolvulaceae and others, varying between classification systems; for details see text The Solanales are an order of flowering plants, included in the asterid group of dicotyledons. ... “Nightshade” redirects here. ... Species See text below Datura is a genus of 12-15 species of vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... In science, a common name is any name by which a species or other concept is known that is not the official scientific name. ... Species Metel Category: ... Yellow starthistle, a thistle native to southern Europe and the Middle East that is an invasive weed in parts of North America. ... Species See text Solanum is a genus of annuals, perennials, sub-shrubs, shrubs and climbers. ... Chemical structure of tropane Tropane (C8H15N, 8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3. ... An alkaloid is a nitrogenous organic molecule that has a pharmacological effect on humans and other animals. ... The general group of pharmacological agents commonly known as hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. ... Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and other plants of the family Solanaceae. ... Hyoscyamine is a chemical compound, a tropane alkaloid it is the levo-isomer to atropine. ... Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug obtained from plants of the family Solanaceae (nightshades), such as henbane or jimson weed (Datura species). ... == LOL == // The deliriants (or anticholinergics) are a special class of acetylcholine-inhibitor dissociatives. ... An anticholinergic agent is a member of a class of pharmaceutical compounds which serve to reduce the effects mediated by acetylcholine in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ...

Datura stramonium also called dhatura is an erect annual plant, on average 30 to 150 cm (1-5 feet) tall with erect, forking and purple stems. The leaves are large, 7 to 20 cm (3-8 in) long and have irregular teeth similar to those of oak leaves. The flowers are one of the most distinctive characteristics of Datura stramonium: they are trumpet-shaped, white to purple, and 2-7 in. (5-12.5 cm) long. The flowers, with the same fragrance as Mirabilis jalapa, open and close at irregular intervals during the evening, earning the plant the nickname Moonflower. The fruit are walnut-sized, egg-shaped, and covered in prickles, they split into four chambers, each with a few kidney-shaped seeds. All parts of the plant emit a foul odor when crushed or bruised. Peas are an annual plant. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Binomial name Mirabilis jalapa (The four oclock flower or marvel of Peru) is the most commonly grown ornamental species of Mirabilis, and is available in in a range of colours. ...

Name derivation

The genus was derived from "dhatura", an ancient Hindu word for the plant. The specific name is New Latin word meaning "thornapple". Stramonium is originally from from Greek, strychnos (nightshade) and manikos (mad). [1] This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Species about 190 Strychnos is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to family Loganiaceae. ...

Cultivation and Uses

Jimson weed grows in most habitats, but thrives in high-nutrient soil. It is found throughout much of the United States, most commonly in the South except for Texas. Datura stramonium is also found throughout many other parts of the world. Goats will occasionally eat Jimson Weed, and subsequently die a slow and painful death. In California and other western states, Datura wrightii is found, not Datura stramonium. It is common in the west, known as Gypsum weed. Gene Autry noted it his song "Back in the saddle again"

"Out where a friend is a friend Where the longhorn cattle feed On the lowly gypsum weed Back in the saddle again"

Datura is occasionally used as an available alternative to illegal drugs. Typically it is not illegal, although some American states do have laws regulating its consumption. It is typically consumed as a sort of herb tea, though it can also be eaten or smoked. Overall, it has a very low demand as a recreational drug, because it has a reputation as an extremely unpleasant high, as well as being potentially fatal.

Effects

Blooming Datura

There is a mnemonic device for the physiological effects of datura/atropine intoxication: "blind as a bat, mad as a hatter, red as a beet, hot as hell, dry as a bone, the bowel and bladder lose their tone, and the heart runs alone." Another rhyme describing its effects is, "Can't see, can't spit, can't pee, can't shit." Regarding Datura, among the Navajo is the folk admonition, 'Eat a little, and go to sleep. Eat some more, and have a dream. Eat some more, and don't wake up.' The actual effects are reported to be: cycloplegia and mydriasis (extreme dilation of the pupil), flushed, warm and dry skin, dry mouth, urinary retention and ileus (slowing or stopping of intestinal movement), rapid heart beat, hypertension or hypotension, and choreoathetosis/jerky movements. In case of overdose the effects are hyperthermia, coma, respiratory arrest, and seizures. The vast majority of atropine-poisoning cases are accompanied by delirium with visual and auditory hallucinations. Download high resolution version (1152x864, 198 KB)Pic taken by me in the dunes of scheveningen, File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1152x864, 198 KB)Pic taken by me in the dunes of scheveningen, File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Navajo (also Navaho) people of the southwestern United States call themselves the Diné (pronounced ), which roughly means the people. They speak the Navajo language, and many are members of the Navajo Nation, an independent government structure which manages the Navajo reservation in the Four Cs area of the United... Cycloplegia is the paralysis of the ciliary muscle, resulting in a loss of accommodation. ... Mydriasis is an excessive dilation of the pupil due to disease or drugs. ... Ileus, formerly called iliac passion, refers to limited or absent intestinal passage. ... For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension (disambiguation). ... In physiology and medicine, hypotension refers to an abnormally low blood pressure. ... Choreoathetosis is a combination of chorea and athetosis. ... Hyperthermia in its advanced state referred to as heat stroke or sunstroke, is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. ... For other uses, see Coma (disambiguation). ... This article is about epileptic seizures. ...

The effects of Datura have been described as a living dream: consciousness falls in and out, people who don't exist or are miles away are conversed with, etc. The effects can last for days. Tropane alkaloids are some of the few substances which cause true hallucinations which cannot be distinguished from reality. It may be described as a "real" trance when a user under the effect can be awake but completely disconnected from his immediate environment. In this case, the user would ignore most stimuli and respond to unreal ones. This is unlike psilocybin or LSD, which only cause sensory distortions. A hallucination is a false sensory perception in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... Psilocybin (also known as psilocybine) is a psychedelic alkaloid of the tryptamine family, found in psilocybin mushrooms. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ...

The doses that cause noticeable effects, and the doses that can kill are very close with datura. This makes overdosing on Datura stramonium very easy. This can be fatal; it can cause fevers in the 105-110 (40-43°C) range which is a range that can kill brain cells, and lead to brain damage. There have been many instances of teenagers looking for a cheap high poisoning themselves to death on datura. If someone overdoses on datura it is advised to induce vomiting, to wash out his or her stomach, and to get the person hospitalized immediately.

If taken recreationally and the user does not notice any conscious effects, most people redose thinking it's not working, which is why overdoses are so common. The user doesn't realize that he or she was hallucinating. Some users have reported seeing an array of people from their lives. A few anecdotal reports also mention the user's perception of "phantom cigarettes"; the person believes that he or she is smoking a cigarette only to find that it has disappeared later, thus realizing that it never existed. At the peak of such experiences users often enter a true psychotomimetic state, in which they "lose touch with reality" altogether; at this point, many find it difficult or impossible to communicate with others. Describes the actions of a drug in producing symptoms of psychosis including delusions and/or hallucinations. ...

A majority of users who have written reports on experiences with this drug have described those experiences as unpleasant and often terrifying. This is possibly due to their having taken excessive doses. The powerful effects of Datura continue until the body metabolizes the tropane alkaloids.

Scopolamine is the primary hallucinogen in Datura wrightii from California and other Daturas. Scopolamine can be slowly and erratically absorbed into the brain. In most people, scopolamine reaches the brain within an hour or so after ingestion and causes visual and auditory hallucinations. In about 25% of people, scopolamine is very slowly absorbed into the brain, taking up to 13 hours to enter the brain. These are the people who are at the highest risk of overdosing. They become impatient waiting for their recreational high and take more of the plant extract. Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug obtained from plants of the family Solanaceae (nightshades), such as henbane or jimson weed (Datura species). ... Binomial name Datura wrightii Regel Datura wrightii is the name of a poisonous weed, sometimes used as a hallucinogen, commonly called Sacred Datura. ...

History

Datura stramonium is native to either India or Central America. It was used as a mystical sacrament in both possible places of origin. The Native Americans have used this plant in sacred ceremonies. In some tribes datura was involved in the ceremonies of manhood. The sadhus of Hinduism also used datura as a spiritual tool, smoking it with cannabis in their traditional chillums. This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Species See text below Datura is a genus of 12-15 species of vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. ... In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an ascetic or practitioner of yoga (yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Hindu goals of life: kama (pleasure), artha (wealth and power) and even dharma (duty). ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages)[1] is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... This article is about the plant genus Cannabis. ... There is also a Chillum, Maryland, a suburb North of Washington, D.C. Two small glass chillums, with bottle cap for size comparison. ...

In the United States it is called Jimson weed, Gypsum weed, Angel Trumpet, Hells Bells or more rarely Jamestown Weed; it got this name from the town of Jamestown, Virginia, where British soldiers were secretly or accidentally drugged with it, while attempting to suppress Bacon's Rebellion. They spent several days chasing feathers, making monkey faces, generally acting like lunatics, and indeed failed at their mission: At Jamestown Settlement, replicas of Christopher Newports 3 ships are docked in the harbour. ... Bacons Rebellion or the Virginia Rebellion was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony, led by Nathaniel Bacon. ...

Some of the soldiers sent thither to quell the rebellion of Bacon (1676); and some of them ate plentifully of it, the effect of which was a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural fools upon it for several days: one would blow up a feather in the air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another, stark naked, was sitting up in a corner like a monkey, grinning and making mows [grimaces] at them; a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll.

In this frantic condition they were confined, lest they should, in their folly, destroy themselves- though it was observed that all their actions were full of innocence and good nature. Indeed, they were not very cleanly; for they would have wallowed in their own excrements, if they had not been prevented. A thousand such simple tricks they played, and after 11 days returned themselves again, not remembering anything that had passed. – Robert Beverly, The History and Present State of Virginia, 1705

There was a time when stramonium, a drug obtained from the leaves and seeds of Datura stramonium, was used medicinally (Herbalgram). The alkaloid was known as daturine. From the seeds was made extractum stramonii. The tinctura stramonii was made from the leaves. Stramonium was used to relax the smooth muscle of the bronchial tubes, and thus it was used to treat an asthmatic's bronchial spasm. Cigarettes were made of stramonium leaves which could be smoked; or the tincture was taken internally. Frequently the leaves were powdered together with equal quantities of the leaves of Cannabis and Lobelia mixed with potassium nitrate, and were burned in an open dish. The preparation was reported to give off dense fumes which afforded great relief to the asthmatic paroxysm. Around the turn of the century numerous patent "cures" for asthma contained these ingredients in varying proportions. Daturine was also used to treat acute mania as hyoscyamine was said to produce sleep. Because of the dangers of tropane poisoning, datura is not used medicinally today, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined it to be unfit for human consumption. However, atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine are FDA approved drugs that are used everyday for a variety of conditions. Smooth muscle Layers of Esophageal Wall: 1. ... A bronchus (plural bronchi, adjective bronchial) is a caliber of airways in the the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. ... This article is about the plant genus Cannabis. ... Species See text. ... R-phrases   S-phrases   Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... This article is an expansion of a section entitled Mania from within the main article Bipolar disorder. ... “FDA” redirects here. ...

The antidote of choice for overdose or poisoning is physostigmine. [2] Physostigmine is a parasympathomimetic, specifically, an irreversible cholinesterase inhibitor obtained from the Calabar bean. ...

References

• Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, Weeds of The Northeast, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997), Pp. 312-313.
• Dec 1995, Vol 18 (No 3), Jimson Weed (Datura stramonium) Poisoning: Clinical Toxicology Review
• Datura information
• Soma and the Kenshins

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

See also

• Clairvius Narcisse, a Haitian alleged to have been kept in a zombie-like state by the weed

Clairvius Narcisse was reported to be zombie. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Datura stramonium

• Datura stramonium from 'A modern herbal' by Mrs Grieve (1931)
• Datura stramonium at Liber Herbarum II
• Datura stramonium at CalPhotos
• Datura spp. at Erowid.org
• [3]
• Herbalgram: The Role of Botanical Medicine in 100 Years of American Naturopathy.
• Video of teens after ingesting Jimson Weed concoction