[Mrs_stuart]

Well, since the weather has been so nice, of course i am in the garden and well, i ran across these seed (apple of peru) that i took from the seed box that has been going around. Since i did not know what they were, i did a search on the www and found that they are an invasive weed and
Definition: [n] intensely poisonous tall coarse annual tropical weed having rank-smelling foliage, large white or violet trumpet-shaped flowers and prickly fruits
[n] coarse South American herb grown for its blue-and-white flowers followed by a bladderlike fruit enclosing a dry berry


Synonyms: common thorn apple, Datura stramonium, Jamestown weed, jimson weed, jimsonweed, Nicandra physaloides, **** fly

See Also: genus Nicandra, herb, herbaceous plant, Nicandra, thorn apple

Well can i say i dont really want that in my garden...anyone out there actually plant these and why????????????? They are intensely poisonous too...yuck!!!

Belinda

 

[Gayle in KY]

Apple of Peru (Nicandra physalodes) is not the same plant as Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium). Apple of Peru is invasive and mildly toxic. It is becoming a problem for the corn growers in the Great Lakes region, although it is often grown as a flowering plant- http://www.cytechweb.net/~deekay/saw/appleofperu.htm Jimsonweed is much more toxic, it is, in fact, a psychoactive drug.

From NDIC~

The primary psychoactive substances in jimsonweed are the alkaloids atropine and scopolamine. Atropine has been used in treating Parkinson's disease, peptic ulcers, diarrhea, and bronchial asthma.2 It is also used to treat nerve gas poisoning.3 Scopolamine is available by prescription primarily for treating motion sickness. It has also been used as an adulterant with heroin. During a 24-hour period in December 1995, at least 60 heroin users in Newark, New Jersey, died after using heroin tainted with scopolamine.

Jimsonweed is commonly consumed in herbal tea concoctions. The seeds, leaves, and flower nectar can also be eaten or smoked. The high experienced by users often includes delirium, delusions, hallucinations, disorientation, and incoherent speech. Often users do not recall the experience.

Ingestion of jimsonweed can lead to seizures, coma, and death. Symptoms include dry mucous membranes, difficulty swallowing and speaking, blurred vision, photophobia, hyperthermia, confusion, agitation, combative behavior, and hallucinations. These effects can occur within 30 to 60 minutes after ingestion. Symptoms can continue for 24 to 48 hours because the alkaloids present in jimsonweed retard the digestive process.4

There is no antidote for jimsonweed poisoning. Treatment normally includes pumping the patient's stomach and administering activated charcoal to absorb the contaminants. The drug physostigmine, a mild nerve agent, is used in severe cases.5

http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs/579/descript.htm#Top

 

[Mrs_stuart]

Well Gayle, since you know more than everyone at this dictionary site:
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/apple+of+Peru
Why dont you go off and educate them insted of giving me the 411 on gimsonweed... Which i could give a care less about...if you wanted to appear like the knowledge queen, why didn't you give me some info on the peru apple, since the whole www has it wrong...and by the way, i read those sited you posted before you posted them because like i said, i Did the www search.
I was just trying to get some info from people who do plant it and what they see about it.

Belinda

 

[Shygal]

You posted that Apple of Peru's synonym was jimsonweed, and Gayle merely pointed out the difference, and the danger of jimsonweed....most likely in CASE you were worried it was that plant, which is isn't.

Your reply was rather nasty, wasnt it?

 

[Gayle in KY]

Don't get your knickers in a twist, Mrs. Stuart. I read the same site you did, too. I investigated further. They're just wrong. What can I tell you? The two plants are not related.

It just so happens that my son brought me a bouquet of Apple of Peru, that he found on our land, and I wanted to be certain it wasn't the toxic scourge you made it out to be. It isn't.

 

[Mrs_stuart]

Don't get your knickers in a twist, Mrs. Stuart. I read the same site you did, too. I investigated further. They're just wrong. What can I tell you? The two plants are not related.

It just so happens that my son brought me a bouquet of Apple of Peru, that he found on our land, and I wanted to be certain it wasn't the toxic scourge you made it out to be. It isn't.

First of all, you are probally right, my post earlier to you was rather rude and yes, i will appoligize for it (we all have our bad days) but,
I did not provide this info, i copied it from a web site which i posted in that last reply, I was asking what everyone else had heard about apple of peru. and i did not call it jimsonweed, the website called it jimsonweed. I found the poison part on several different sites and yes, i did my homework and checked it out
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/654/
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/apple+of+Peru
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Nicanph.htm
all of these sites listed this plant as poisonous...
these sites say that this plant is highly invasive
www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/9-15-03.html
http://www.cytechweb.net/~deekay/saw/appleofperu.htm
and this site http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_thornapple.htm refers to apple of peru and jimsonweed as well, so as you can see, there is evidence to both cases.......do the research yourself and you can see both of the issues. I still am interested in people growing it as a flowering plant in their gardens and if they have had any problems with it intruding anywhere or overgrowing.
Belinda

 

[Gayle in KY]

Ok, I think I see where the confusion is coming from. Here is the definition from the hyperdictionary~

intensely poisonous tall coarse annual tropical weed having rank-smelling foliage, large white or violet trumpet-shaped flowers and prickly fruits
[n] coarse South American herb grown for its blue-and-white flowers followed by a bladderlike fruit enclosing a dry berry

Apparently, there are two distinctly different plants that go by the name "Apple of Peru"- one is extremely toxic, the other only mildly toxic. You need to find out which one you have- the Latin name.

As for whether or not it is invasive, that might depend on where you're planning on growing it. If you put it in your garden, it might be a problem, but in a flowerbed, it might be fine.

 

[Mrs_stuart]

I dont know which type of seeds i have because they were in the seed box that is going around and i dont know who put them in there...that is why i was wondering who is growing them. I did start them (in a pot-thank goodness). So, i guess i will see what anyone else has to say about it and keep doing a bit of research (maybe the little seeds will germinate and i can get a better idea) until then...thanks
Belinda

 

[Gayle in KY]

Here is a site that shows what the seedling of the mildly toxic variety looks like~

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedworkshop/appleofperu.asp

Here's one with the extremely toxic type~

http://infosys.ars.usda.gov/Weeds/Jimsonweed/sld001.htm

Hope that helps.

 

[Mrs_stuart]

thanks, i have them bookmarked and so i will wait till they come up and see. thanks again.
Belinda