''Datura quercifolia'', commonly known as the oak-leaved thorn-apple, is a small

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

in the

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 ...

Datura ''Datura'' is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also known as devil's trumpets (not to be conf ...

'' that is native to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

. It grows equally well in dry and moist soils and requires full sun. It contains a mix of

alkaloids Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar st ...

that are poisonous and can be potentially lethal when ingested.

Description

The

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 ...

was first described in 1818 by

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, p ...

. Its green leaves resemble oak leaves, hence the name ''quercifolia''. It can assume both a prostrate and an upright bushy habit, with bushier forms reaching up to 3 ft. in height. It produces green seed capsules armed with long sharp spines, which, like those of some ''Datura'' species, open by four equal valves. The funnel-shaped flowers are white and pale violet tipped with five short triangular teeth and are less than 2 in. long. Datura_quercifolia_flower

Toxicity

All parts of ''Datura'' plants contain dangerous levels of poison and may be fatal if ingested by humans or other animals, including livestock and pets. In some places it is prohibited to buy, sell or cultivate ''Datura'' plants.

References

External links

Photographs of ''Datura quercifolia''
quercifolia Flora of Mexico Flora of the Southwestern United States {{Solanales-stub