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Sacred Datura
Datura wrightii
  
About Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii) 19 Nurseries Carry This Plant Datura wrightii, or "Sacred Datura", is the name of a flowering and poisonous ornamental plant of the Nightshade Family (Solanaceaes), endemic to southwestern North America. It is ubiquitous throughout the South Western United States specifically but is observably most abundant within Southern California. It is sometimes used as an (often powerfully) intoxicating hallucinogen. Datura wrightii, as well as other members of the botanical Datura genus are sub-classified as a 'deliriant' hallucinogens which are virtually all anticholinergic drugs (specifically antimuscarinics). This class of hallucinogens are known for causing considerable disturbances in cognition, perception (especially visual and auditory) as well as a multitude of psychological facets relating to memory and attention.

Additionally, antimuscarinics like sacred datura also frequently lend themselves to the induction of morbid, frank and highly-realistic external visual hallucinations and illusions, along with disorientation, photophobia, confusion, moderate to severe impairments in judgment, psychological acuity and behavior, sporadic or periodic agitation, and perhaps most notably; a strong reality obfuscating delirium. Pharmacologically, the bulk of the psychoactive and perceptual presentations in datura's deliriously intoxicating effects seems to be linked particularly to the plant's antagonism (chemical inhibition) of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1, or simply; the "M1 receptor" within the central nervous system (mostly the brain) where the function of the highly pertinent brain chemical; acetylcholine is blocked and/or inhibited from exerting its normal, natural function on the receptor.

The plant is a vigorous herbaceous perennial that grows 30 centimeter to 1.5 meter tall and wide. The leaves are broad and rounded at the base, tapering to a point, often with wavy margins. The flowers are the most striking feature, being sweetly fragrant white trumpets up to 20 centimeter (8 inches) long, often tinted purple, especially at the margin or in the throat. There are five narrow points spaced symmetrically around the rim. It can bloom from April to October. The fruit is spiny and conspicuous. In clear weather, flowers open at nearly full dark and wither a few hours after sunrise the following morning; in cloudy weather or in part shade, they may open earlier and last longer. A closely related species, Datura discolor, is limited to the Colorado Desert (a subdivision of the Sonora Desert) and is very similar in appearance. Datura wrightii is also often confused for or mistakenly conflated with the Datura innoxia species, however innoxia usually occurs further north and is also more common as a gardening plant whereas wrightii seems to be exorbitantly feral.

Southern California has historically been the site of various "toloache" (datura)-based native religious complexes by local indigenous peoples such as the Chumash, the Hopi, Tongva, and the Kumeyaay, among others. Certain ethnobotanists hypothesize or maintain that some of these California datura religions are very old, even when compared to other ingenious entheogenic substance use throughout the world. Datura wrightii is considered to be sacred to numerous tribes like the ones mentioned due again, to its very powerful visionary (and despite its inherent dangers); conspicuous entheogenic or thematic subjective and perceptual effects. These mind-altering, often archetypal experiences have served as a foundation for the mythologies of folklorish figures like Chinigchinix among the Mission Indians, and the beliefs and practices of the ethnographically-labeled "Datura Cult" of the Chumash. The Chumash datura complex in particular remains to be perhaps the most well-documented anthropological assessment and investigations by westerners into sacred datura's ethnobotanical ritualistic uses by indigenous peoples in the the U.S. The plant was utilized in sacred ceremonies and rites of passage for the younger members in several of the aforementioned tribes. In regards to the documented Chumash approach to datura, when a boy was 8-years-old, his mother gave him a preparation of "momoy" (an entheogenic datura concoction) to drink. This was supposed to be a spiritual challenge to the boy to help him develop the spiritual well-being required to become a man. Not all of the boys survived due to the high-risk of potentially lethal toxidrome from the anticholinergic toxicity which often results in dysrhythmia (usually an accelerated/fast heart-rate) or depressed breathing capabilities (acute respiratory depression), as it greatly impacts both the central and peripheral nervous systems due to the widespread layout of muscarinic receptors throughout the body (lungs, brain, heart, etc.) as well as the vitalness of their proper functioning.

The physical outcomes of antimuscarinic poisoning is often worsened by fervent elevations in body temperature (hyperthermia), urinary and gastrointestinal faltering, severe dehydration and ''drying', polydipsia (insatiable desire to hydrate oneself) or adipsia (pathological apathy or disregard towards hydrating oneself), bizarre behavior (sometimes violent), aimless or fugue wandering, akathisia, functional visual blindness, along with a possibility for lasting corneal damage as well as just general semantic or mental incoherency or emotio-cognitive 'flatness'. There can also be a paradoxical waxing and waning periods or intervals between immobility and restless, suggestibility and combativeness, confusion and lucidity, etc. Besides decreased mental stability, physiological poisonings and death, even among users who survive, especially ones who continue to use the plant; sacred datura and its related species have also long been associated with dementia, twilight confusion, madness, infirmity, socioethical perturbations in personality, capriciousness, ardent devilment, cunningness, hermitry, nocturnality, moonlight, asceticism, muteness, sacrality, malevolence, femininity, prowess, sensuality, lust, 'power' and witchcraft/sorcery; particularly necromancy (contacting forces of the underworld).

The Zuni people have also been reported using the wrightii species for ceremonial, magical, and divinatory purposes. For example, root pieces would be chewed by a robbery victim to determine the identity of the thief through a proposed divinatory ritual or practice. The powdered root is also used by rain priests in a number of ways to ensure fruitful rains for the land's flora and fauna. From a spiritual and symbolic standpoint; the plant is not only associated with crepuscularity, nightfall and lunar phenomena, but also water, and thus rainfall and cloudiness or precipitation are common themes in rituals.

It is one of North America's most historically relevant entheogens, particularly when considering the additional species of datura spread throughout the continent which contain the same phytochemical (tropane) alkaloids. Although perhaps not as recognized within western culture as the infamous Datura stramonium specimen, d. wrightii has still been used for its hallucinogenic effects by modern westerners; often in reckless attempts at exploiting the plant's psychoactive (deliriant) effects recreationally. Often this is performed through oral administration (as opposed to topically or smoked), and in carelessly high doses. Datura wrightii also appears to be the same species that was taken by various members of the notorious Manson Family cult and social commune led by Charles Manson in the late 1960s. It was purportedly repeatedly used in Spring of 1969 by Tex Watson and Paul Walkins (only months prior to the Tate?LaBianca murders) due to its proximity to the Spahn Ranch hippie-settlement in Los Angeles County.

Since the advent of the internet however, with the increased access to information and educational resources on the datura's substantial dangers and the acknowledgment of different (safer) types of hallucinogens, this has inevitably led to a notable decrease recreational use and experimentation by users in western drug culture and 'psychonauts', namely due to the severe physical risk and psychological dangers of using it casually. But also, ultimately due to the near-universally reported unpleasant, flustering and dysphoric qualities of the hallucinogenic trips themselves. "Pleasant" or enjoyable recreational experiences with any species of the datura genus is fairly rare, or at least cooccurring alongside other uncomfortably unsettling peripheral effects or phases of discomfort or disturbance. Usually prolonged after-effects tend to also be another strong deterrent of casual experimentation.

The main active ingredient is Scopolamine; also known as "Devil's Breath" when present in its isolated/extracted form, especially when extracted from Brugmansia species by criminal groups in Colombia for poisonings and robbery. Scopolamine is produced by a various other nightshade plants in other regions of the world (like Brugmansia is South America) owing to the alkaloid's extensive scope of cultural lore and social influence as a result of its nearly identical effects and societal outcomes or perspectives even cross-culturally, such as the reputation antimuscarinics have traditionally held even in western cultures via scopolamine-containing plants of the Old World such as belladonna, henbane, mandrake, etc.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
1 - 5 ft tall
6 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Purple, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported
 
Primarily insects, including sphinx moths and various beetles or snails. The roots however, can also attract certain vertebrate species like the desert cottontail rabbits or even coyotes despite their aversion to other parts of the plant, such as the leaves.

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Adaptable but prefers coarse well drained soil

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Groundcovers

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Because Western Jimsonweed is occurs in so many parts of the southwest, it may be accompanied by any number of plants from the above habitats.

Propagation
Propagation?
Use caution if attempting to propagate this plant from seeds because the toxin is concentrated in the seeds. Use caution in handling or storing seeds for fruits, and especially keep away from children or pets.  For propagating by seed: No treatment. (Everett 1957).

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11, 12, 13, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Sandy or gravelly open places, often disturbed places such as the edges of trails and road shoulders. It is however perhaps most commonly found in throughout chaparral ecologies and not uncommonly near major bodies of water or rivers.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.0" - 63.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.08", Coldest Month: 34.5" - 63.3", Hottest Month: 61.2" - 89.1", Humidity: 0.68" - 40.59", Elevation: -94" - 6907"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Moonflower, “Datura meteloides“
Common Names: California Jimsonweed Western Jimsonweed, Tolguacha, Momoy, Samay E'nurr Indian Apple, Sacred Thorn-apple Toloache


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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