Medicinal Uses of Datura inoxia (Safed datura)

Safed datura (Datura inoxia) complete detail – updated. Medicinal Uses of Datura inoxia (Safed datura). Description of Safed datura (Datura inoxia). Classification of Safed datura (Datura inoxia). Fruits and flowers of Datura is also used in worship (praying) of Bhagwan Shiva. The fruit is spiny, 2 – 4 inches in diameter. The fruits are pendulous and covered with many short thorns. The ovoid capsule is nodding, about 3 cm in diameter and……………

Datura inoxia is an annual shrub that grows up to 2 meter in height. The fruit is spiny, 2 – 4 inches in diameter. Local name of Datura inoxia is Safed datura.  Distribution of Datura inoxia. In traditional medicine, it is a reputed drug in the treatment of rabid dog-bites and poisonous insect bites. The dried leaves and flowering tops are known for their narcotic and anti-spasmodic properties.

Description

Datura inoxia is an annual shrub that grows up to 2 meter in height. The stems are semiwoody and suffruticose in the moist tropics. In drier environments, it dies to the ground annually. Branches often purple-tinged, softly pubescent and more or less glandular, all parts unpleasantly scented.

The alternate leaves have petioles 3 to 7 cm long and ovate to elliptic blades 6 to 15 cm long with sinuate to irregularly toothed edges. Datura inoxia has hairy leaves with serrated margins.  Leaves are covered with short and soft greyish hairs that give the whole plant a greyish appearance.

Flowers solitary in the forks of the branches, erect when fresh, later drooping. The flowers are white, 6 to 9 inches long, sometimes tinged with rose or violet, fragrant and ten-lobed. They are pleasantly fragrant and form all summer, each opening in the early evening and lasting until noon the next day.

The fruit is spiny, 2 – 4 inches in diameter. The fruits are pendulous and covered with many short thorns. The ovoid capsule is nodding, about 3 cm in diameter and covered with stout, soft prickles 2 to 4 mm long. The capsules remain on the plant for a long period. The seeds are brown to orange in color.

Classification

Common Name – Safed datura

Botanical Name – Datura inoxia

Kingdom – Plantae

Subkingdom – Tracheobionta

Division – Magnoliophyta

Class – Magnoliopsida

Subclass – Asteridae

Order – Solanales

Genus – Datura

Family – Solanaceae

Distribution

Datura inoxia originated in the American Southwest and Mexico down to Belize and Guatemala.  It has since spread to the Caribbean and was introduced to India very early on.  It may also be found growing wild in Greece and Israel. Datura inoxia is grown commercially in Central America, North Africa, Ethiopia, India and England.

Uses

Datura inoxia has many medicinal properties like anodyne, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic and narcotic etc. Datura inoxia used in the treatment of insanity, fevers with catarrh, diarrhoea, scabies, piles, ulcers, colds, asthma, Cardiac disorders, Impotency, Antispasmodic, Malaria, Baldness and skin diseases. The plant contains several alkaloids, the most active of which is scopolamine. It is also useful in respiratory ailments, rheumatism, elephantiasis, insanity, ear ache and eye diseases.

In traditional medicine, it is a reputed drug in the treatment of rabid dog-bites and poisonous insect bites. The dried leaves and flowering tops are known for their narcotic and anti-spasmodic properties. They are used for the same purposes as leaves of belladonna and stramonium.

Fruits and flowers of Datura is also used in worship (praying) of Bhagwan Shiva.