Datura stramonium
Datura stramonium
Afrikaans: malpitte, olieboom
English : thornapple
IsiXhosa: ijoyi, umhlabavuthwa
Description and diagnostic features
It is a short herb with a strong smell and bifurcated stem. At each fork in the stem is a nightshade flower and the fruit is a capsule with spikes. Inside this dry spiky fruit are many small black seeds. The mad pips.
Part used
Leaf
Uses
Very effective if leaves are wilted over steam and placed on boils. It will remove them painlessly.
I homeopathic form it is a curative for boils associated with nightmares and worrying about ones parents having a bad time. If the boils are only on the left side of the body it is because the patient is worried about their mother. On the right hand side of the body indicates the father.
Warning
Toxic in normal plant form.
If eaten or drunk it will cause blindness and hallucinations.
Not for internal use unless highly diluted as in homeopathic CH20 or higher dilutions.
Habitat
It grows well in disturbed soils, like ploughed maize fields.
Propagation
It grows very easily from seed in disturbed soils. Like a weed.