One of the really striking flowers of the deserts and mesas, the large,
showy, trumpet-shaped blossoms and broad, dark green leaves of the
datura or “western jimson” arouse the curiosity of persons seeing them
for the first time. Quite common along roadsides below 6,000 feet from
California to Texas and Mexico, the white blossoms remain open at night
but close and droop soon after sunrise. The summer-blooming plants often
grow in large clumps with buds, flowers, and maturing fruits all present
at the same time. Indians used the plants for various medicinal
purposes, a dangerous practice, since all parts of the plant contain
various alkaloids, including atropine. Roots are narcotic and were
sometimes eaten by Indians to induce visions.
_Datura meteloides_ Potato Family
[Illustration: SACRED DATURA]