Weed Identification

Australia > > Common Thornapple

Common Thornapple

Datura stramonium

Family: Solanaceae.

Form: Herb

Origin: Probably native of the USA and Mexico.

Flowers/Seedhead: Trumpet-shaped and 5-lobed, surrounded at base by sepals 3–5.5 cm long. Flowers summer.

Description: Annual herb to 1.5 m high. Leaves 8–36 cm long, ovate to rhombic, margins deeply lobed, lobe margins coarsely toothed to undulate. Capsule ovoid, 2–4.5 cm long.

Distinguishing features: Distinguished by hairless or sparsely hairy stems; white to lavender flowers, 6–10 cm long, stigma below to above anthers; erect spiny capsule, with over 100 spines of variable length, on a straight stalk; seeds black or grey, pitted, 2.5–4.5 mm long.

Dispersal: Spread by seed, particularly by water and as a contaminant in produce.

Confused With: Other Datura species but no others in Australia have capsules that are held erect and have numerous spines. May hybridize with Fierce Thornapple, Datura ferox, a native of China. The hybrids share characteristics of both parents.


Top: Deeply lobed leaves
Bottom: Fruit on erect stem
Gulgong, NSW, Feb
photos J.J.Dellow

Notes: Up to 30,000 seeds have been recorded from one plant. Seeds may remain dormant for many years. After seed-set the plant withers, leaving a skeleton from autumn to spring. Introduced to Australia in early 1800s. Now the most common of the Thornapples in Australia. All parts of the plant, particularly seeds, are toxic to livestock and humans. Rank smell and bitter taste usually deter stock from grazing plants. Weed of disturbed areas and summer crops. The plant known as Datura tatula is a purple flowered form of Datura stramonium.

References:

    Noxious Weeds of Australia. W. Parsons and E. Cuthbertson, 1992, pages 595–600.

Web References: Search Australian web sites for further information on this weed.

D. stramonium & D. ferox
hybrid
photo J.J.Dellow
Juvenile
photo J.J.Dellow
Datura ferox has large
spines
photo J.J.Dellow
Black seed
photo P.Abell

This weed has been included in the WEEDeck field guide as card H57

More information about WEEDeck is available from Sainty & Associates Pty. Ltd.

 

Australia > > Common Thornapple

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