Datura stramonium
PARTS USED
Leaves, flowering tops, seeds
Thorn apple – an annual herb, growing up to 4 feet tall, with a foul odor. Unevenly toothed oval leaves are about 8 inches long. Showy, white, trumpet-shaped flowers (July-October) produce a spiny globular capsule that contains dark brown to black, kidney-shaped, flattened seeds.
Uses
At low doses, thorn apple is a common remedy for asthma, whooping cough, muscle spasm, and the symptoms of Parkinsonism. Thorn apple relaxes the muscles of the gastrointestinal, bronchial, and urinary tracts, and reduces digestive and mucous secretions. Like deadly nightshade, thorn apple may be applied externally to relieve rheumatic pains and neuralgia