bluewitch ~ 06/10/11 ~ Pinnacles

bluewitch
Solanum umbelliferum

Solanaceae

Posted 07/16/11 - Popping out another post this evening and trying not to take myself too seriously. Sometimes my point-and-shoot simply refuses to cooperate or the subject moves, hence the crappy photos label. I always wondered what a bluewitch was. Now I know.

Indian tobacco ~ 06/10/11 ~ Pinnacles

Indian tobacco
Nicotiana quadrivalvis
Solanaceae

I thought this would be a quick post to research, but then I got caught up reading about the history of tobacco use, cultivation, and trade. While N. quadrivalvis is native to western North America, Lewis and Clark reportedly found the Arikara people cultivating this plant in the area that became North and South Dakota. The best sites I found mentioning this are Discovering Lewis and Clark, University of Iowa, and University of Iowa Health Care.

jimson weed ~ 06/08/11 ~ Pinnacles

western jimson weed / sacred datura
Datura wrightii
Solanaceae

At last, I found a native jimson weed. Perhaps the reason why I haven't noticed this before is because it blooms in the evening through to the next morning. Unless I'm camping, I usually don't hike in the evenings. Descriptions of its scent range from "sweetly fragrant" flowers to "rank smelling" foliage. Like it's non-native cousin D. stramonium that I've seen at Fort Ord, extracts are narcotic. Native Americans used preparations in ceremonies.

jimson weed ~ 01/19/11 ~ Fort Ord

common jimson weed

Datura stramonium
Solanaceae

I rarely remember the individual plants that I happen to post pictures through the seasons, but this jimson weed stands out in my mind. Those are some gnarly seed pods! Click to see pictures of it in its full summer glory from August 21, 2010. The switch of green vs. dried parts between jimson weed and grass, from August to now in January, is quite fascinating to observe.

ps 01/22/11 - Thanks to Phyte Club Katie's comment, I've discovered this plant is apparently fairly toxic, i.e., do NOT use for a recreational high.

pss 10/27/11 - Found another blog post of the actual seeds. I like. Check out Backyard and Beyond's Jimson.

common jimson weed
Datura stramonium
Solanaceae

I really wanted this to be our native western jimson weed (D. wrightii), but alas this is the non-native. The flowers look similar in photos, although I suspect the western jimson weed flowers can get quite large. D. wrightii appears to have smoother leaf margins, whereas D. stramonium leaves are more toothed. I double-checked Fort Ord's plant list to confirm this ID. The seed pods are impressive. It seems the origins of this plant are unclear.