Datura metel in white with pale coloured fibres

This flowering plant is based on an illustration from Basilius Besler’s 1640 opus ‘Hortus Eystettensis, sive, Diligens et accurata omnium plantarum, florum, stirpium : ex variis orbis terrae partibus, singulari studio collectarum, quae in celeberrimis viridariis arcem episcopalem ibidem cingentibus, olim conspiciebantur delineatio et ad vivum repraesentatio et advivum repraesentatio opera’; in English that’s ‘The Garden of Eichstätt, or, A careful and accurate work of all plants, flowers, and species: collected with singular study from various parts of the world, which were once seen in the most famous gardens surrounding the episcopal castle there, in drawing and lifelike representation and advival representation’.

Besler labelled this flower as ‘Stramonia’, but contemporary botanists have identified it as Datura metel. What’s the difference? Well, while Datura stramonium is from Central America, Datura metel was long believed to hail from India, owing to its long history there; it has more recently been traced to the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean sea. The flowers may be single blooms, or two or three blossoms nested inside each other; D. metel also comes in a variety of variegated purples and a pale yellow, in addition to white or cream. The plant is variously known as Downy thornapple, Indian thornapple, Hindu datura, and both devil’s trumpet and angel’s trumpet.

Consuming any part of the plant can kill you, although first it will cause hallucinations, gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, seizures, and coma. The scent can even cause respiratory irritation, headaches, nausea and light-headedness. Death comes from respiratory depression and tachycardia.

It was reportedly used by Indian criminal gangs, including the Thuggee, to knock out their targets. Like many poisonous plants, it is used medicinally, particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. It also has a number of ritual uses in Africa.

My Datura metel is 4.5 inches tall, stitched by hand on 5x7 inch 100% cotton watercolour paper, which means that it will pop right into any commercial frame in that size, and be ready to hang on your wall.

Materials: Japanese and Korean papers, glass beads, and cotton floss on cotton paper.