Plantinvasivekruger - Solanaceae - Datura ferox L.

DATFE

Solanaceae

Datura ferox L.

Datura- from the Hindi word dhatūrā meaning a thorny apple.
ferox - fierce (spiny), referring to the fearsome-looking spines on the seed pod.

Datura ferox is an erect sub-herbaceous annual herb, glabrous to sparsely hairy, growing up to 1.5 m high. The branches are repeatedly forked and green or purplish towards the base. The leaves are alternate, borne on stalks, ovate to rhombic-ovate, dark green above and paler below, sparsely hairy with margins coarsely and irregularly toothed or lobed; unpleasant smell when leaves are crushed. The trumpet-shaped flowers are 4-6 cm long, with the green base of the flower extending for about half the total flower length. They are borne singly where the leaf joins the stem. The upper part of the flower is white, usually with five fine points extending beyond the rest of the flower. The fruit is an erect, brownish and egg-shaped, hardened capsule covered in robust conical spines. It opens up to release numerous black or grey seeds.

Datura ferox can be confused with Datura inoxia and Datura stramonium.
D. ferox can be distinguished from D. stramonium by its flower, which is shorter (4-6 cm long) compared to the flower of D. stramonium (up to 10 cm long); and by its fruit which has about 40-60 spines of variable length.
Datura ferox and Datura stramonium produce erect capsules on straight stalks which contain black or grey seeds. Datura inoxia can be differentiated from these two species as its capsules are held on a curved stalk, and it produces brown or yellow seeds. Datura inoxia’s stems, branches and leaves are entirely pubescent with simple glandular hairs, and its leaves usually entire, rarely toothed. The branches are usually purple.

Erect sub-herbaceous annual herb, growing up to 1.5 m high, with glabrous to sparsely hairy (with a somewhat dense covering of short, weak, soft hairs and non-glandular hairs).

Branches are repeatedly forked and green or purplish towards the base.

Alternate, on long petioles, ovate to rhombic-ovate, mostly 8-14 cm long and 6-16 cm wide, thinly textured, almost hairless to pubescent, particularly near the base; base often decurrent into the petiole; margins coarsely and irregularly toothed or lobed, lamina dark green above, paler below. Unpleasant smell when crushed.

Flowers solitary in the forks of the branches or axillary.

Calyx long and tube-like, up to 3.5 cm long, 5-angled with ovate to triangular-lanceolate unequal apical lobes, 2.5-7 mm long. Corolla white to pale yellowish, rarely pale blue, 4-7 cm long, slightly 5-lobed with narrow acuminate tips. Stamens are not protruding beyond the sepals or petals, and the stigma is below the anthers

Erect, hardened capsule, ovoid-ellipsoid, up to 8 × 6 cm (including spines), covered in robust unequal, narrowly conical spines, up to 2.5 cm long (the longest being at least half the length of the capsule), purple-green to brownish when ripe, regularly dehiscent, opening up into 2-4 segments.

Numerous. 4-5 mm long, black or grey. Most toxic part of the plant.

Datura ferox reproduces by seeds. It can be spread as a contaminant of crop seeds/grains.
All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Datura ferox grows in waste grounds and disturbed agricultural areas. It is often found growing along roadsides, river flats and near stockyards. It prefers warm, temperate and subtropical regions.

Found throughout all provinces in South Africa.

Datura ferox is a poisonous weed that competes aggressively with crops in the field and pasture. All parts of Datura plants contain dangerous levels of poison and may be fatal if ingested by humans and other animals, including livestock and pets.

Existing legislation: CARA 2002 – Category 1 (noxious weed-prohibited plants that must be controlled), Proposed legislation: NEMBA – Not yet declared.
Competes with indigenous species.

-Australian Government. Weeds in Australia.
-BioNET-EAFRINET
-Bromilow C. 2010. Problem plants and alien weeds of South Africa. Pretoria: Briza Publications. P. 299.
-Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. & Ballings, P. (2013). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Datura ferox.
-Invasive Species South Africa
-Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
-Swaziland’s Alien Plants Database

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/weeddetails.pl?taxon_id=8121
http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Datura_ferox_%28Fierce_Thorn_Apple%29.htm
http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=150810
http://www.invasives.org.za/component/k2/item/237-large-thorn-apple|datura-ferox.html
http://www.hear.org/pier/species/datura_ferox.htm
http://www.sntc.org.sz/alienplants/speciesinfo.asp?spid=187