THORN APPLE, Datura, a genus of plants of the natural order Solanacece, having a tubular five-cleft calyx, a large funnel-shaped five-lobed corolla, and an imperfectly four-celled, prickly, or un armed capsule. The species of this genus are annual herbaceous plants, rarely shrubs or trees; they are in gen eral narcotic, and productive of wild ex citement or delirium. The common thorn apple, or stramonium (D. stramonium), is an annual plant, with smooth stem and leaves, white flowers, and erect prickly capsules, a native of the East Indies, but now often met with in Europe, as also in Asia, the N. of Africa, and North Amer ica. It contains a peculiar alkaloid, daturine, which is practically identical in its action with atropine. The leaves and seeds are employed in medicine. A ariety with pale violet flowers and purplish violet stem is frequently culti vated in gardens as an ornamental plant.
Still more narcotic is the soft-haired thorn apple (D. metel), a native of the S. of Asia and of Africa. The Thugs of India employed it in order to stupefy their victims, or, in other cases, to poison them outright. From its seeds, along
with opium, hemp, and certain spices, a strong intoxicating substance is pre pared, which the Mohammedans of India use in order to produce in themselves a state of exhilaration. The use of it de stroys the constitution. D. tatula, an other Indian species, has similar proper ties. D. sanguinea, the red thorn apple of Peru, is used by the Indians to pre pare a very powerful narcotic drink call ed tonga, which stupefies when very di luted, and when strong brings on ma niacal excitement. The beautiful D. fastuosa has flowers externally of a violet color, and white within, and is cul tivated as an ornamental plant, especial ly a variety with what are called double flowers, which consist rather of two corol las, one within the other. D. arborea, a native of Peru and Colombia, is culti vated in flower gardens in Europe. It has pendulous white flowers, 9 to 12 inch es long, which diffuse a sweet smell at night.