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Datura metel

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Datura

horn of plenty, horn-of-plenty

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Stout annual herbs, branching above, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple hairs.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, often 6–12 cm long, 3–8 cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate. Base oblique. Surfaces glabrescent, blades membranous. Margins entire to sinuate–dentate. Petioles 2–5 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers actinomorphic, solitary in stem forks, peduncles 5–10 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx angularly tubular, 5-lobed, ca. 5 cm long, the lobes triangular, 1–1.5 cm long. Corolla single, double, or triple, white, purple, or yellowish, up to ca. 15(–20) cm long, the lobes terminated by a pointed tip 1 cm long. Stamens 5 or more; anthers 10 mm long; filaments inserted in lower 1⁄2 of corolla tube; anthers dithecal, basifixed, opening by slits. Ovary superior, ca. 6 mm long; style up to 10 cm long; stigma laterally flattened.

Fruit: Capsules globose to ovate; ca. 5 cm in diameter; inclined; tuberculate or with short conical spines; opening irregularly; persistent calyx base somewhat thickened. Seeds numerous; yellowish brown; flattened; obovoid; 4 mm long; 3 mm wide; elaiosome large; endosperm present.

Ploidy: 2n = 24; 48

Habitat: Open; dry; disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: Low elevation.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (46)

Brugmansia chlorantha (Hook.) Melliss (1875)
Brugmansia suaveolens var. flore-albo-pleno Reider (1830)
Brugmansia waymanii Paxton (1838)
Datura aegyptiaca Vis. (1836)
Datura alba F.Muell. (1868)
Datura alba var. africana Mattei (1908)
Datura bojeri Delile (1836)
Datura carthaginensis Anon. (1895)
Datura chlorantha Hook. (1859)
Datura chlorantha atroviolacea-plenissima Barr & Sugden (1866)
Datura cornucopaea Wilks (1894)
Datura cornucopia Pitcher & Manda (1893)
Datura dubia Rich. (1805)
Datura fastuosa L. (1759)
Datura fastuosa var. alba C.B.Clarke (1883)
Datura fastuosa var. flaviflora O.E.Schulz ex O.C.Schmidt (1933)
Datura fastuosa var. glabra Bernh. (1827)
Datura fastuosa var. parviflora Nees (1834)
Datura fastuosa var. rubra Bernh. (1827)
Datura fastuosa var. tuberculata Bernh. (1827)
Datura fruticosa Hornem. (1813)
Datura humilis Desf. (1829)
Datura hummatu Bernh. (1833)
Datura hummatu var. fastuosa (L.) Bernh. (1833)
Datura hummatu var. muricata (Link) Bernh. (1833)
Datura hummatu var. rubra Bernh. (1833)
Datura laevis Schkuhr (1791)
Datura metel f. pleniflora O.Deg. (1934)
Datura metel var. dentata Schltdl. & Cham. (1830)
Datura metel var. fastuosa (L.) Saff. (1921)
Datura metel var. flaviflora (O.E.Schulz) Moldenke (1943)
Datura metel var. muricata (Link) Danert (1954)
Datura metel var. obscura Danert (1954)
Datura metel var. rubra (Bernh.) Danert (1954)
Datura metel var. viola Pandeya & A.B.Bhatt (1989)
Datura muricata Link (1821)
Datura nanakii Pandeya & A.B.Bhatt (1989)
Datura nigra Hassk. (1844)
Datura nilhummatu Dunal (1852)
Datura timoriensis Zipp. ex Span. (1841)
Datura trapezia Nees (1834)
Datura waymanii (Paxton) Steud. (1840)
Stramonium datura Noronha (1790)
Stramonium fastuosum (L.) Moench (1794)
Stramonium infernale Noronha (1790)
Stramonium metel (L.) Moench (1794)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Only found in cultivation
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Not in flora

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 179 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1255 (O, Mo, M, H); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:212 (L, remove O, H [no evidence of nat.]); Degener 4075 CHRB (Mo†, 1928); Handy 34.16 BISH (M†, 1934)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Datura metel Koloa District: Lawai Valley, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Bamboo Bridge Section, at N end of hau tunnel Preserved_Specimen Shrubby perennial 1 m tall, short-lived (1-2 years); stems and petioles purple-tinged; fruiting calyx discoid, reflexed; fruit light green, subglobose, 3-4-locular, when ripe pale brownish-yellow and splitting irregularly at apex; seeds light brown Lorence, D.H. 6445 Kauai BISH 1990-05-25
2 Datura metel Koloa District: Lawai Valley, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Bamboo Bridge Section, at N end of 'hau tunnel Preserved_Specimen Shrubby perennial 1 m tall, short-lived (1-2 years); stems and petioles purple-tinged; fruiting calyx discoid, reflexed; fruit light green, subglobose, 3-4-locular, when ripe pale brownish-yellow and splitting irregularly at apex; seeds light brown Lorence, D.H. 6445 Kauai BISH 1990-05-25
3 Datura metel Koloa District: Lawai Valley, National Tropical Botanical Garden; Bamboo Bridge section, at N. end of hau tunnel Preserved_Specimen Shrubby perennial 1 m tall, short-lived (1-2 years). Stems and petioles purple-tinged. Fruiting calyz discoid, reflexed. Fruit light green, subglobose, 3-4-locular, when ripe pale brownish-yellow and splitting irregularly at apex; seeds light brown. Lorence, D.H. 6445 Kauai BISH 1990-05-25
4 Datura metel Makena Preserved_Specimen Handy, E.S. 34.16 Maui BISH 1934-06-04
5 Datura metel Honolulu, 2436 Burbank St., Mrs. J.L. Robertson's garden Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1940-04-02
6 Datura metel Koloa, Wiliwili, Tadao Kawamoto residence garden Preserved_Specimen 1.75 m shrub; many branched; stems purple black; petiole purple black; leaves dull dark green above, paler below; calyx green mottled purple; outer corolla purple, inner white Wood, K.R. 4861 Kauai BISH 1995-12-13
7 Datura metel collected near office trailer at Airport Nursery. Associated species include Senecio madagascariensis, Nicotiana glauca, and Dysphania carinata. Preserved_Specimen Mature individual Bogner, K. 103 Lanai BISH 2022-02-15
8 Datura metel Honolulu, Kamehameha Girls' School Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1937-09-25
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