Alien Invasives
Common Thorn Apple (Datura innoxia)
05 October 2016
- Other names
-
Ditch Weed, Jimson Weed, Stinkwort (English)
Gewone Stinkblaar, Malpitte (Afrikaans)
iloqi (isiZulu)
lechoe (Sesotho)
umhlavuthwa (Xhosa) - Invasive status
-
NEMBA Category 1b
CARA 2002 Category 1 - Description
- The Common Thorn Apple is an annual shrub that grows up to 1,5 metres with sparsely hairy to smooth, green, brown or purple stems. The leaves are dark green or purple on the upper surface and paler underneath. They are sparsely hairy and have an unpleasant odour. Solitary white, mauve or purplish funnel-shaped flowers appear from October to March followed by brown hardened fruit capsules covered with slender spines. The seeds and other parts of this plant are poisonous to livestock and humans.
- Originally from
- Tropical America
- Where is it a problem?
- Found in scattered localities throughout South Africa
- How does it spread?
- Seed dispersal
- Why is it a problem?
- It competes with indigenous pioneer species and the seeds are highly toxic
- Uses
- The poisonous seeds are used for hallucinogenic purposes – hence the Afrikaans name malpitte
Please help...
Any donations would be greatly appreciated and are much needed to support these efforts. Please consider setting up a stop order with your bank for a regular monthly contribution rather than (or in addition to) a one-off donation. This would greatly assist us in budgeting and planning for the future.
Please EFT to the following account:
| Bank: | Nedbank |
| Branch name: Branch code: |
Morning Glen Branch 198 765 |
| Account Name: | Sandspruit Ullmann Park Association |
| Account Number: | 1014 852 641 |
| Reference: | Your name |
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