THE BIOLOGY OF CANADIAN WEEDS.: 64. Datura stramonium L.

Datura stramonium L. (Solanaceae) is an annual weed found in most temperate and subtropical regions of the world. It has been recorded from all the provinces of Canada except Newfoundland, but is most common in Ontario and Quebec. It occurs in waste places, gardens, barnyards and, increasingly, in cultivated fields. Datura stramonium serves as an alternate host for many insect pests and diseases of Solanaceous crops, such as tomatoes, tobacco and potatoes, and has both narcotic and medicinal properties due to its production of a variety of alkaloids. It has been used extensively as an experimental plant in studies of genetics, chromosome morphology and embryonic development.