Seed Pods of the Sacred Datura
Seed Pods of Sacred Datura
Sacred datura, or Jimson Weed, has beautiful flowers.
It also has very interesting seed pods!
The plant is known for its hallucinogens, the belladonna alkaloids, which can be quite poisonous. A tea is used by some Native American groups in religious rituals. Belladonna alkaloids are also used in some pharmaceutical preparations, such as the old Bellergal (ergotamine has recently been removed from that preparation, but a combination of phenobarbital/belladonna alkaloids is still on the market for GI symptoms and to control the vasomotor symptoms of menopause).
The ordinary gardener should admire the beauty of the flowers and the interesting nature of the seedpods, and consider the plant quite poisonous if ingested!
