Form: annual and perennial herbs and shrubs
Status: present in WA
Appearance
The thornapples (Datura spp.) are vigorous summer-growing plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, which includes crops such as tobacco, potatoes and tomatoes. Most species of thornapple originated in the tropics and were introduced to Australia as seed or fodder contaminants. The species occur in scattered populations and have been found in most parts of the state.
Thornapple plants contain several poisonous alkaloids. However, they are seldom grazed by stock because of their bitter taste, unpleasant smell and spiny seed pods. Animal deaths are usually due to eating contaminated hay, chaff and silage. The seeds are the most toxic part of the plant. Some children have been poisoned by eating the seeds. Thornapple also competes strongly with pasture plants for light and moisture. They grow, flower and seed over summer, given sufficient soil moisture.
| D. strammonium | D. inoxa | D. ferox | D. wrightii | D. metel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plant | Annual Hairless/sparsely Hairy | Annual - Perennial Dense hairs on stem | Annual Hairless/sparsely Hairy | Perennial Hairy | Annual Almost hairless |
Height | 1.5 metres | one metre | 1.5 metres | 0.3-1.5 metres | 0.5-2 metres |
Leaves | 8-36 centimetres Deeply lobed | 10 centimetres Entire or shallow lobed | 8-14 centimetres 6-16 centimetres wide Shallow toothed | 7-25 centimetres Wavy Toothed | 16 centimetres long 15 centimetres wide Egg shaped serrated |
Sepals/calyx | three to five centimetres | 5-11 centimetres | three to five centimetres | Yellow/green |
|
Petals | 10 centimetres white to lavender | 12-19 centimetres white with green veins | four to six centimetres white | 15-20 ccentimetres Tinted purple | 14-20 centimetres deep purple outer, pale lavender to pink inner |
Anthers | — | — | Within petals | 10-14 centimetres | 8-12 centimetres Within petals |
Style | Stigma below anthers | Stigma above anthers | Stigma below anthers | Stigma above anthers | Stigma two to four centimetres below anthers |
Capsule | 2.5-4 centimetres Egg shaped carried erect | three to five centimetres bent sharply down, spines one centimetre | two to four centimetres 40-60 spines Spines longer at end of capsule | five centimetres Round and drooping | three to four centimetres spines 100-200 2.5 centimetres long |
Seeds | 2.5-4 millimetres Grey black pitted | four to five millimetres Brown | four to five millimetres Black grey | five to six millimetres Tan | four to five millimetres Yellow |
Agricultural and economic impact
Thornapple - a host to pests and diseases. Toxic to livestock.
Longspine thornapple, Fierce thornapple - a host to pests and diseases. Toxic to livestock.
Hoary thornapple, Hindu thornapple - a host to pests and diseases. Toxic to livestock.
Hairy thornapple - a host to pests and diseases. Toxic to livestock.
Downy thornapple - cropping weed, seed is difficult to separate from sorghum at harvest, also a host to pests and diseases. Toxic to livestock.
Legal status
The Western Australian Organism List (WAOL) contains information on thelegal status of these pests in Western Australia (WA). Search for datura species in the WAOL using their scientific names: Datura stramonium, Datura ferox, Datura leichhardtii, Datura wrightii, Datura inoxia or Datura metel.
Search > detect > report
MyPestGuide™ Reporter | Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) |
Control method
When using any agricultural chemicals please ensure that you always follow instructions on the label and any permit. Users of agricultural chemical products must always strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit.
Only registered products can be used for weed and pest control.
Control methods for this plant can be found through the APVMA website, use "thornapple" as the pest name.