Plants Mexico

Datura: Solanaceae

Note: These plants can be dangerous if improperly used. The author, and/or ernestartist.org assume no liability for experimentation of use.

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Datura:

See Jimson Weed, Thornapple, Datura Stramonium - click here

Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Datura
Species: fastuosa: large shrub with white flowers
Inoxia: (Don Juan's Datura): native to Mexico
Metel: native to India.
sanguinea (Eagle Datura, Tonga): Native to S. America.
stramonium (Jimson Weed): Dangerous hallucinogen widespread in temperate regions.
Other species: tatula, brugmansia, candida, suaveolens, arborea, aurea, dolichocarpa, vulcanicola, discolor

Usage: Leaves are sometimes smoked. Small amount of seed can be pulverized and added to drinks as in the Algonquin ritual.

Effects: described as "delirium". Leaves are hallucinogenic and hypnotic. Seeds cause mental confusion and delirium followed by deep sleep with colorful hallucinations. Excessive amounts are toxic. May cause blacking out and severe headaches. Yaqui Indian brujos say it causes insanity. This substance is generally considered dangerous.

History: Discolor (Desert Thornapple): used by Hopi shamans for divination.
inoxia: "Don Juan's Datura" is used in it's native Mexico by Yaqui bruhos for divination
metel: Used by the Thuggee cult in it's native India to drug sacrificial victims to Kali.
sanguinea (Eagle Datura, Tonga): Used by Aztecs in the Temple of the Sun. Peruvian natives believe it allows them to communicate with departed souls.
stramonium (Jimson Weed): Dangerous hallucinogen widespread in temperate regions. Used by Algonquins in ritual drink called "Wysoccan" to introduce boys to manhood.
Active Constituents: Scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine and other tropanes.

"Hyoscyamine and scopolamine possess specific anticholinergic, antispasmodic activity and elicit some central nervous effects as well. These effects usually consist of stimulation at low doses, depression in higher toxic doses. ... Intoxication with atropine or hyoscyamine is characterized by psychic excitation often combined with panic and hallucination. Scopolamine was found to produce a state of excitement followed by a kind of narcosis in which, in the transition state between consciousness and sleep, hallucinations sometimes occur (Heimann, 1952). These effects explain the addition of belladonna and other solanaceous plants as ingredients of magic brews in medieval Europe and of sacred medicines by the Indians of Mexico and South America." (Schultes and Hofmann, 1980)
NOTE: Family Solanaceae is the potato family (did you know potatoes have a lower LD50 than marijuana? It's true). Many members of this family contain tropanes and have a history of ritualistic use. Other commonly-used members are the Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum), Belladonna (a.k.a. deadly nightshade) (Atropa belladonna), Thornapple (Datura inoxia), Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), and Iochroma.

Kuthmithi (Withania somnifera) is one member of the Potato family that does not appear to contain active amounts of tropanes and is generally considered safe for use as a sedative.

Although native to warmer North American regions, Datura Suaveolens, Datura Cornigera, and Datura Mollis are found in gardens through out the Vancouver lower mainland.

Use caution when trying out this plant:

White colored flower - Datura Suaveolens

"use one flower picked fresh from the plant, soak the picked flower in an 8 ounce cup of warm water for two hours. The water tastes bitter... with in half an hour of drinking the water, I couldn't feel my hands or feet. I felt 'DRY' my mucus membranes dried right up, and it felt like I was loosing all of the water in my body. Everything seemed to slow right down. In fact, it had such a profound effect, that even the friend I had with me at the time (who wasn't partaking in the plant) noticed that everything had slowed. I didn't hallucinate, but I got a body stone that was a lot like Mescaline.

My pupils were dilated for about a week, my eyes hurt from day light for most of the time... it was really hard for my eyes to focus during the time I was "high" and I feel that it has impaired my vision even after the drug flushed out of my system. I wouldn't ever do it again in this way (soaking flower in water and drinking water)

I tried it once by drying out the leaves, grinding it up and mixing half and half with Cannabis Sativa, but the effect was extremely mild compared to the direct method of fluid ingestion. I got the same effect with the sensitivity of the eyes, but not quite so bad. I also tried the Yellow flowered plant " Datura Cornigera" but it reminded me of being sick with the flu.

Grow in full sun in moisture retentive but well drained fertile and preferably calcareous soil.
Propagate by seeds sown in situ in spring (16°C / 61°F) or earlier under glass and set out after danger of frost has passed.
The foliage is extremely susceptible to viruses affecting other Solanaceous plants and may act as a host . . .

Datura seems to be an awkward genera in that it will often grow like a weed and at other times seems to resist every attempt at germination.
Datura seem to occur naturally on fertile wasteland, rubbish tips, dry river banks and roadsides - they almost always start growing where the ground has been recently disturbed (giving the seeds sheltered nooks where plant material can gather and rot, and where the humidity is maintained by being sheltered from direct sunlight and wind).

If similar conditions are reproduced Daturas can be very successful sown in-situ outdoors.

Aerial parts of perennial species die back during the winter (if frosted) and will grow back from the roots in spring.

The plants like full sun, in moisture-retentive, but well-drained fertile and calcareous soil.
I tend to feed Daturas (and many other Solanaceae) with the same fertilizers I use for tomatoes (these can be "chemical" or "Organic" according to your taste).

There seem to be 3 things that encourage good germination (Datura stramonium):

Temperature: Ambient temperature at about 70° F (21° C).

Light: Sow with just a very thin sprinkle of sand or vermiculite on top of the seeds - experiments have produced results of 15% to 25% germination in the dark and 27% to 100% germination with some exposure to light (not direct sunlight as this will cook the seeds or burn the sprouts of those that germinate - the small plants must be gently introduced to full sunlight).

Humidity: Covering the seed tray with a sheet of glass, or Cling Film will maintain the humidity. Propagating trays with clear plastic covers are also useful, they usually have air vents so that damping off can be prevented once germination commences.
Gibberellins (Gibberellic Acid-3 (GA-3)) have been found to stimulate germination amongst Daturas, but many growers prefer not to use them. Gibberellins are naturally produced by fungal action when leaves and other plant material decay - some compost or leaf mold blended with the seed mix may produce a similar effect.

The bastion of Datura cult use is still in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Datura is, however, still used in Africa, India, China, and virtually anywhere else it can be found. The rituals involved vary considerably... from puberty initiation to divination. For a full discussion see Yerba del Diablo.

In Mexico the groups using various daturas include the Huichol, Yaqui, Tarahumara, and at least several Maya groups including the Lacondon. In the Southwestern United States the Chumash (now extinct), Navajo, Zuni, Yokuts, Mohave, Yuma, Desert Cahuilla, Western Mono, Shoshoni, Kitanemuk, Luiseno, and Hopi have used or still use Datura in some way. I'm sure there are others as well. In Africa the Tsonga use Datura in female puberty initiation rites. The Algonquin of Michigan traditionally use a brew of D. stramonium for divination.

In general, in addition to being used medicinally, Datura is freqently used to aid in acquiring a dream helper/guardian (often during puberty initiation), divination of illness, locating lost objects, gathering personal power, and various forms of "sorcery" including love magic and poisons. These uses are not unique to Datura or even solanaceous plants and in fact many diverse entheogenic plants find similar uses in varying cultures.

D. metel has been known as a hallucinogen in the Old World since early Chinese and Sanskrit herbals. The 11th century Arabian physician Avicenna also knew of Datura. Taoist legend calls D. metel one of the circumpolar stars, and the Hindu's believe it is the "tuft of Shiva" and as such is often depicted on statues of Shiva in his headdress.

Datura has always been called "dark" and "evil" by those who would squelch indigenous practices of direct communication with divine power. Also, tropane rituals are frequently associated with nudity and "paganism", and early Christian sects were quick to point out the association with the "Horned God" of the hunt (by their accounts the evil Satan devil). Incidentally, Huichol mythology contains the horned figure... brother deer tail... who is intimately associated with Datura and Solandra.

To check out some interesting information regarding the Cannabis plant click here.

See Jimson Weed, Thornapple, Datura Stramonium - click here