Datura is a genus of nine species of poisonous vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds but are also known as devil's trumpets. Other English common names include moonflower, devil's weed and hell's bells. All species of Datura are poisonous and potentially psychoactive, especially their seeds and flowers which can cause respiratory depression, arrhythmias, fever, delirium, hallucinations, psychosis, and even death if taken internally. Due to its effects and symptoms, it has occasionally been used not only as a poison, but also as a hallucinogen by various groups throughout history. Traditionally, psychoactive administration of daturas has been most often associated with witchcraft and sorcery or similar practices in many cultures, including the Western world. Certain common datura species have also been used ritualistically as entheogens by some Native American groups.
Scaevola is a genus of flowering plants in the Goodenia family, Goodeniaceae. It consists of more than 130 tropical species, with the center of diversity being Australia and Polynesia. There are around 80 species in Australia, occurring throughout the continent. Diversity is highest in the South West, where around 40 species are endemic.
Buddleja is a genus comprising over 140 species of flowering plants endemic to Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The generic name bestowed by Linnaeus posthumously honoured the Reverend Adam Buddle (1662–1715), an English botanist and rector, at the suggestion of Dr. William Houstoun. Houstoun sent the first plants to become known to science as buddleja to England from the Caribbean about 15 years after Buddle's death.
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus Carex with over 2,000 species.
Dalbergia is a large genus of small to medium-size trees, shrubs and lianas in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Dalbergia clade : the Dalbergieae. The genus has a wide distribution, native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia.
Plumeria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Most species are deciduous shrubs or small trees. The species variously are endemic to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and as far south as Brazil and north as Florida, but are grown as cosmopolitan ornamentals in warm regions. Common names for plants in the genus vary widely according to region, variety, and whim, but frangipani or variations on that theme are the most common. Plumeria is also used as a common name, especially in horticultural circles.
The Polygalaceae or the milkwort family are made up of flowering plants in the order Fabales. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 21 genera and ca. 900 known species of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala, the milkworts.
Palaquium is a genus of about 120 species of trees in the family Sapotaceae. Their range is from India across Southeast Asia, Malesia, Papuasia and Australasia, to the western Pacific Islands.
Justicia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It is the largest genus within the family, encompassing around 700 species with hundreds more as yet unresolved. They are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, India and Africa. The genus serves as host to many butterfly species, such as Anartia fatima. Common names include water-willow and shrimp plant, the latter from the inflorescences, which resemble a shrimp in some species. The generic name honours Scottish horticulturist James Justice (1698–1763). They are closely related to Pachystachys.
Myrica is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australia. Some botanists split the genus into two genera on the basis of the catkin and fruit structure, restricting Myrica to a few species, and treating the others in Morella.
Browallia is a small genus of seven species of flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. It is named after Johannes Browallius (1707–1755), also known as Johan Browall, a Swedish botanist, physician and bishop. The genus is closely related to the monotypic genus Streptosolen, the single species of which was published initially under the name Browallia jamesonii.
Brunfelsia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to subfamily Petunioideae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. The 50 or so species have been grouped into the three sections: Brunfelsia, Franciscea and Guianenses, which differ significantly in both distribution and characteristics, although molecular data have revealed that only two sections are natural (monophyletic), namely the Caribbean section Brunfelsia and a common section for all South American species. Linnaeus named the genus for the early German herbalist Otto Brunfels (1488–1534).
Andira is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is distributed in the tropical Americas, except for A. inermis, which also occurs in Africa. It was formerly assigned to the tribe Dalbergieae, but recent molecular phylogenetic evidence has placed it in a unique clade named the Andira clade.
Lebeckia is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae native to the fynbos of South Africa. Several members of Lebeckia were recently transferred to other genera. Members of Lebeckia are known to produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids, including ammodendrine, lebeckianine, and lupanine.
Solanum pseudoquina is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Brazil. A rare plant, it is dependent on conservation of its habitat to prevent it from becoming a threatened species.
Iochroma arborescens is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iochroma, belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. Formerly it was considered the single species in the monotypic genus Acnistus. Common names include gallinero, mata-gallina, fruta-de-sabiá, hollowheart, wild tobacco, siyou, bastard sirio, galán arbóreo, tabaco de monte, nigüito, marieneira, güitite, and tabak djab.
Hypenia is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described as a genus in 1988. It is native to South America and southern Mexico.
- Hypenia aristulata(Epling) Harley - Goiás
- Hypenia brachystachys(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - southern Brazil
- Hypenia calycina(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia concinna(Benth.) Harley - Tocantins
- Hypenia crispata(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Goiás
- Hypenia densiflora(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia durifolia(Epling) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia gardneriana(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia glauca(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil, Paraguay
- Hypenia inelegans(Epling) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia irregularis(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia macrantha(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia macrosiphon(Briq.) Harley - Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia
- Hypenia marifolia(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia micrantha(Benth.) Harley - Mato Grosso
- Hypenia paniculata(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia paradisi(Harley) Harley - Goiás
- Hypenia pauliana(Epling) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia perplexa(Epling) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia pruinosa(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
- Hypenia reticulata(Mart. ex Benth.) Harley - eastern Brazil
- Hypenia salzmannii(Benth.) Harley - Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela
- Hypenia simplex(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Harley & J.F.B.Pastore - Brazil
- Hypenia subrosea(Harley) Harley - Goiás
- Hypenia violaceaMart.Gord. & S.Valencia - Guerrero, Oaxaca
The Solanaceae, or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids, and some are highly toxic, but many—including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell and chili peppers—are used as food. The family belongs to the order Solanales, in the asterid group and class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species, with a great diversity of habitats, morphology and ecology.
