''Brugmansia aurea'', the golden angel's trumpet, is a species of

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 nightshade family Solanaceae,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

. Since March 2014, it has been listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN but before that, it was listed as Vulnerable. Despite being declared extinct in its native range, ''Brugmansia aurea'' is a popular ornamental and is widely cultivated, like the other members of its genus. It is sold and grown as a garden plant, described as a large

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

subtropical shrub capable of growing to in height. The large, pendent, trumpet-shaped yellow or white blooms appear in summer and autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. The pleasant fragrance is strongest in the evening. Brugmansia aurea 12

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet ''aurea'' means "golden".

Cultivation

Several

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s exist, notably 'Grand Marnier' with peach-coloured flowers. It dislikes temperatures below , but may be placed outside in a sheltered spot during the summer months.

Synonyms

*''Brugmansia affinis'' *''Datura aurea'' *''Datura affinis''

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Uses

It is used as a

hallucinogen Hallucinogens are a large, diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception as well as other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorize ...

. Its most potent cultivar is ''Culebra Borrachero'', which has a high concentration of the psychoactive scopolamine. It has also been used as a

truth serum "Truth serum" is a colloquial name for any of a range of psychoactive drugs used in an effort to obtain information from subjects who are unable or unwilling to provide it otherwise. These include ethanol, scopolamine, 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, ...

. Borrachero loosely translates to "get-you-drunk", and scopolamine is also known as Devil's Breath and burundanga.

References

aurea Endemic flora of Ecuador Vulnerable plants Garden plants of South America Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Solanales-stub