Subject: Re: Datura Inoxia

From: Gilles Guerin <[email-masked]>
Date: 6 Oct 1995 12:40:28 GMT

You are right and field guides are not...

---

From: [email-masked] (Jack Nilch)
Date: 6 Oct 1995 01:21:52 GMT

Can someone tell me why the Datura plants growing in the west (Southern 
California) are referred to, even by field guides, as "Thorn Apple?"

Thorn Apple is Datura Strammonium. What seems to be growing here is 
Datura Inoxia. The only name ive ever heard of for D. Inoxia is "Devil's 
Weed."

thanks a bunch,

Alex

---

From: [email-masked] (Marc Kummel)
Date: 7 Oct 1995 02:05:45 GMT

Jack Nilch ([email-masked]) wrote:

: Thorn Apple is Datura Strammonium. What seems to be growing here is 
: Datura Inoxia. The only name ive ever heard of for D. Inoxia is "Devil's 
: Weed."

Interesting plants often have confusing names.  Munz lists it as D. 
meteloides, but the new Jepson calls it D. wrightii, and suggests it may
be introduced.  (I thought California Indian use was documented?) 
D. inoxia is another alias.  

I know it by the Indian/Mexican name "Toloache", but that may be from Don 
Juan. 

Marc

---

From: [email-masked] (Pedro Tytgat)
Date: Mon, 09 Oct 1995 19:02:45 GMT

>thanks a bunch,

Datura fruit is spiny. This is believed to be for protection, hence
"Thorn apple". Devils weed could refer to the toxicity of the plant.