SC - Re: Devil's Trumpet or Jimsonweed

[Gaylin Walli]

Henri and Antea asked:
>Does anyone know if planting Devil's Trumpet in or near your
>herb garden is safe?  Do you think the roots would taint or
>transfer any toxins to the herbs?  A friend gave us a cutting
>of a Devil's Trumpet and its a toss up as to where to plant it.
>I don't want to plant it in the gardens in the front of our
>house for fear that one of the neighbor's kids would get into it.

I think if I were you, I would not plant it. If my plant and
your plant are the same "Devil's Trumpet" then the plant is
also called "Jimsonweed" and "Thornapple". One botanical name
is _Datura stramonium_. Here's are two online sources showing
what the plant looks like (full growth, no seedlings):

http://www.pharm.arizona.edu/centers/poison_center/plants/jimson_b.html

http://vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/color36.htm

*ALL* parts of the plant are considered highly poisonous. While
cattle and swine have been the most commonly affected animals,
humans and animals that live near and with humans (e.g. dogs,
horses, poultry) have all been affected by poisoning from consumption
of every part of the plant. For the chemical geeks out there,
three alkaloids, atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine are the
principle poisons in this plant. (Sources: Florida Agricultural
Office, Purdue Vetrinary Department, a doctor in a vet's office,
and the nice reference desk people at the local library.)

You may be able to find more information on the plant's toxicity in a
book like Lampe & McCann's "AMA Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious
Plants" (1985, Chicago: American Medical Association) for specifics
on United States reports of poisoning. Also try the more recent "Common
Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America" by Nancy J. Turner,
Adam F. Szczawinski (1995, ISBN-0881923125). Note: I've not looked
the plant up in these books.

It's interesting to note that, at every agricultural and poisonous
plant site I viewed on the web, the recommendation was to destroy
the plant completely and thoroughly as directed by a qualified
herbicide applications specialist (every state has different
regulations which constitute what "qualified" means) or by simply
digging it up and keeping it from rerooting.

Sites that sold the seeds all listed its poisonous properties, but
tempered that information with it's supposed medicinal values
which were never listed. I believe that the medicinal values
are similar to those of Belladonna, based on the major consituents
of the plant, the use of the plant in American history, and
a whole bunch of OOP herbal books I looked in. Most of the books
I looked in agreed that the use of the plant did not cure any
particular disease, but simply treated symptoms, especially
asthma and similar conditions (for some suffers, this was their
only source of relief and thus a really great thing (TM)).

I don't recommend using it, however (CYA), so don't blame me if
you plant it. :)

There's some interesting information in Grieve's Herbal (OOP)
that talks about the historical American and South American
use (just OOP), but some close and in period information is
also included, especially listing possible in-period herbal
souces for further research. You can find the full writeup
online at the botanical.com website:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thorna12.html

M. Grieve claims that there is considerable argument over
the plant's origin. Some people claim that that plant was
not native to Europe, but instead brought from America as
an ornamental by Francisco Hernandez, a Spanish Physician
of the 16th century. Others claim, as reported by Grieve,
that "the generic name, Datura, is from the Hindoo Dhatura,
derived from the Sanskrit, D'hustúra, applied to the Indian
species fastuosa, well known to the mediaeval Arabian physicians
under the name of Tatorea."

I've no references on the plant ever being used as a period
food source. As a bit of American history, the common names
"Jamestown Weed" and "Jimsonweed" were used because occupants of
Jamestown, Virginia supposedly used it to poison British soldiers
and thus stop Bacon's Rebellion circa 1676.

Again, more than you wanted to know, but plants/herbs are my main
interest, dontchaknow.

Jasmine



Jasmine de Cordoba, Midrealm (Metro-Detroit area of Michigan)
jasmine at infoengine.com or g.walli at infoengine.com

"Si enim alicui placet mea devotio, gaudebo; si autem
nulli placet, memet ipsam tamen juvat quod feci."
- -- Hroswith of Gandersheim
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