''Brugmansia arborea'', the angel's trumpet, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Solanaceae The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and orn ...

. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has classed Brugmansia arborea as

Extinct in the Wild A species that is extinct in the wild (EW) is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as known only by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due ...

Description

''Brugmansia arborea'' is an evergreen shrub or small tree reaching up to in height. The ovate leaves have coarsely toothed margins when in their best condition. The leaves, flower stalks, fruit, and especially the young shoots are covered with fine velvety white down. Flowers are strongly fragrant, trumpet-shaped, nodding to sub-horizontal, white to ivory-white or cream. At long, the flowers are the shortest of all ''Brugmansia''. Flowers are produced almost continuously in smaller quantities, unlike many other ''Brugmansia'' that flower in larger flushes. The ovoid fruit have an average length of and width of . The calyx is slit along one side and is very long in relation to the flower, and in this respect is often used as a quick check to verify correct identification. With a few exceptions, the Green Calyx usually reaches down almost all the way to the flower corolla's mouth.

Taxonomy

In his 1753

Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

published ''Datura arborea'' using as his

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

a drawing by

Louis Feuillée Louis Éconches Feuillée (sometimes spelled Feuillet) (1660, Mane, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – 18 April 1732) was a French member of the Order of the Minims, explorer, astronomer, geographer, and botanist. Biography Feuillée was educated at th ...

from 1714 with name ''Stramonioides arboreum, oblongo et integro folio, fructu laevi, vulgo Flori pondio''. Then Robert Sweet, in his 1818 ''Hortus Suburbanus Londinensis'', published the modern version of the name to be in the separate

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of ''Brugmansia''. Since then, many authors have published many different plants with one of those names, causing much confusion in the taxonomy of these plants. "''Datura arborea''" has many times been incorrectly used for almost any white-flowered ''Brugmansia'' plant, even in scientific literature.

Distribution and habitat

They are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

mountains of southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northern Chile. As the hardiest of all ''Brugmansia'' species in regards to both cold and drought, they are often found in the drier valleys of the Andes, in areas with an annual rainfall of . Occurring at elevations of 2000 to 3000 m, they often receive light frosts.

Ecology

''Brugmansia arborea'' are usually pollinated by moths. They are attracted by the white color of the flowers and their fragrance that gets stronger in the evenings. The species is invasive in

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q134360

arborea Arborea is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Oristano, Sardinia, Italy, whose economy is largely based on agriculture and cattle breeding with production of vegetables, rice, fruit and milk (notably the local milk product Arborea). Histo ...

Flora of Bolivia Flora of Colombia Flora of Peru Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus