Datura leichhardtii is a species of thorn apple. In 1844,
Ludwig LeichhardtFriedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
is said to have discovered this species in Australia.
Ferdinand von MuellerBaron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
gave it the name
Datura leichhardtii when he published his first description of it in 1855.
The natural habitat of this species covered an area from
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to
GuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 km² with an estimated population...
. It was taken to
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, where today is widespread in
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and
New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
. The plant is extremely fond of heat, and its preferred habitat is close to rivers and streams.
Datura leichhardtii grows into a bush from 1.5 to 3 ft tall.
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Datura leichhardtii is a species of thorn apple. In 1844,
Ludwig LeichhardtFriedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
is said to have discovered this species in Australia.
Ferdinand von MuellerBaron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
gave it the name
Datura leichhardtii when he published his first description of it in 1855.
The natural habitat of this species covered an area from
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to
GuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 km² with an estimated population...
. It was taken to
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, where today is widespread in
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and
New South WalesNew South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland and east of South Australia...
. The plant is extremely fond of heat, and its preferred habitat is close to rivers and streams.
Datura leichhardtii grows into a bush from 1.5 to 3 ft tall. The plants are green and a bit furry, with inconspicuous yellowish white flowers. The spiny seed pod is about 1.5 in. in diameter.
The plant is not found in cultivation, because its flowers have no ornamental value.
Toxicity
All parts of
Datura plants contain dangerous levels of poison and may be fatal if ingested by humans or other animals, including livestock and pets. Some municipalities prohibit the purchase, sale, or cultivation of
Datura plants.
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