Brugmansia × insignis
(Barb.Rodr.) Lockwood ex R.E.Schult.
Solanaceae
Datura insignis Barb.Rodr.
Common Name:
Flower of the cultivar 'Dr. Seuss'
Photograph by: Eric Hunt
General Information
Brugmansia × insignis is a shrub or a small tree; it can grow up to 4 metres tall[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is harvested from the wid for local use as a medicine and hallucinogenic. It is often grown in the ornamental garden, where it is valued especially for its long-lasting display of trumpet-shaped flowers[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Known Hazards
The seeds are narcotic, dulling the senses and understanding, and they are occasionally administered with evil intent as a powder in food. Some native people assert that there are those who have gone mad merely by lying down to sleep in the shade of these trees[
630- Title
- Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 28
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An article on the Ethnopharmacological uses of plants in northwestern S. America, amongst many other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
A hybrid of garden origin.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Plants are not capable of withstanding more than the occasional light frost.
Easily grown in full sun or semi-shade[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a moist but well-drained soil of a light texture[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants can produce flowers through much of the year[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
Hallucinogen. The stem is scraped, placed in a large pot, boiled all day, and then strained and boiled further, after which the decoction is drunk. Said to induce a comatose state the effects of which are long-lasting (24 hours or longer). Overdoses are said to be fatal. Used much less frequently than Banisteriopsis and on an individual, rather than communal, basis. Nevertheless, its use is considered to be a significant aspect of shamanistic training and knowledge[
521- Title
- Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
- Publication
- Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
- Author
- Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 0015 - 0746
- Description
- Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - germinates best at a temperature around 20°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Many species in this genus produce little, if any, fertile seed[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. In addition, this species is a hybrid and any seedlings produced are likely to be quite variable[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Cuttings of semi-ripe wood with a heel. It roots best if given bottom heat at about 17°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
