Thornapples - introduced (*Datura species)

Family: Solanaceae (Potato family). Natives of America.

Occurrence: Scattered and seldom abundant in Central Victoria.

Identification:

• they are small to medium shrub-like plants
• the fruit are ovate and are covered with spines
• the flowers are long and trumpet shaped
• the leaves are broad and often have lobed or wavy edges.

Several species have been recorded for Central Victoria. Most are noxious weeds.

Common Thornapple (*Datura stramonium).

• the petals to 10 cm long
• the fruit has about 100 spines which are less than 2 cm long
• the leaves often toothed
• the stems are smooth or slightly hairy.

Hairy Thornapple (*Datura wrightii).

• the petals are 15-20 cm long
• the fruit have numerous spines 3-5 mm long
• the leaves not lobed or only slightly lobed
• the stems are hairy with backward-pointing hairs.

It is a noxious weed and listed Regionally Controlled in central Victoria.

Long-spine Thornapple (*Datura ferox).

• The petals are 5-6 cm long
• the fruit have 40-60 stout spines of variable length, with the longest at the end of the fruit
• the leaves are toothed or wavy-edged
• the branches are smooth or with simple (non-glandular) hairs.

Recurved Thornapple (*Datura inoxia).

• the petals are 15-20 cm long
• the fruit has numerous spines to 10 cm long
• the leaves are untoothed
• its stems are woolly with glandular hairs

It is a noxious weed and listed Regionally Controlled in central Victoria.

Photos: 1. Dried specimen of Hairy Thornapple (D. wrightii). Cairn Curran, Baringhup.

2. Long-spine Thornapple (D ferox) Hay wetlands. 3-6: Common Thornapple (D. stramonium). 3 Lake Benamee. 4: Epsom.
5-6. Common Thornapple, Epsom.