Datura stramonium L. 1753

Sennikov, Alexander & Lazkov, Georgy, 2022, The first checklist of alien vascular plants of Kyrgyzstan, with new records and critical evaluation of earlier data. Contribution 2, Biodiversity Data Journal 10, pp. 80804-80804 : 80804

Datura stramonium L. 1753

Datura stramonium L., Sp. Pl. 1: 179 (1753).

Datura stramonium Datura tatula

Distribution

Native distribution

Central America.

Secondary distribution

Archaeophyte in North and South America, Central and Southern Europe, Africa, Southern and Central Asia, Malesia and Australia. Neophyte in Northern Europe. This species is one of the most widely distributed naturalised alien plants in the world, reaching top-10 in the temperate biome ( Pyšek et al. 2017).

The species is a striking example of the plants native to the New World but introduced with ancient human-mediated transport in the pre-Columbian era. Plants of Datura sp. were introduced to the Old World possibly by the 4th century; the exact mechanism of such transportations is still uncertain ( Geeta and Gharaibeh 2007).

Distribution in Central Asia

The species occurs as a common alien plant in all the countries of Central Asia ( Kovalevskaya 1987).

It was first recorded from Transoxiana (the territories between the Amudarya River and the Syrdarya River) by Avicenna in the first part of the 11th century, although probably as an imported plant ( Geeta and Gharaibeh 2007). Nowadays, it is still frequently seen in ruderal places and on field margins (Fig. 8 ).

Distribution in Kyrgyzstan

Western Tian-Shan, Northern Tian-Shan, Alay-Turkestan (Fig. 9 ).

The species was found in major agricultural areas ( Nikitina 1960) and considered to occur in the whole territory of Kyrgyzstan, although we have not seen collections from the Eastern Tian-Shan. It was collected from populated places and their vicinities, at altitudes up to nearly 2000 m above sea level.

Ecology

Dry open forests and shrublands in the native distribution area; cultivated lands, roadsides, ruderal places and riversides in the secondary distribution area. It occurs at altitudes of 500-1200 m a.s.l. in Mexico ( Luna-Cavazos and Bye 2011).

In Kyrgyzstan, the species does not occur in high mountains ( Nikitina 1960), although Holm et al. (1979) noted its occurrence in the Himalayas as high as 2750 m. Typically, it occurs in or near populated places, in ruderal habitats or along streams in native habitats, sometimes also on fields.

Biology

Annual, with a taproot.

Taxon discussion

In Central Asia, two species have traditionally been separated, D. stramonium with white flowers and D. tatula with lilac flowers ( Nikitina 1960, Kovalevskaya 1987, Lazkov and Sultanova 2011, Lazkov and Sultanova 2014). This taxonomic distinction is no longer supported (e.g. Safford 1921, Khassanov et al. 2020). Both variants have been found in Kyrgyzstan ( Nikitina 1960), although we were not able to find a logical pattern in their distributions.

Introduction to Kyrgyzstan

Period of introduction

Archaeophyte.

This species was known from the whole of Central Asia from the beginning of its botanical exploration ( Fedtschenko and Fedtschenko 1913). The time of its introduction is uncertain, but the species was known from the territory already in the 11th century ( Geeta and Gharaibeh 2007). In agreement with the history of the plant introduction described by Geeta and Gharaibeh (2007), we may speculate that the appearance of Datura stramonium in Central Asia followed the Muslim reconquest of Transoxiana, which occurred by the beginning of the 11th century and was connected with the massive cultural influence from the Arabic world.

Pathways of introduction

Escape from confinement: Horticulture.

The species was originally cultivated as a medicinal plant in India ( Geeta and Gharaibeh 2007) and was seemingly introduced as such to Central Asia. Its contemporary occurrence was recorded as a ruderal plant ( Deza 1983), with further dispersal by wind and local human activities. Its occasional presence on fields (grain and root vegetables) has also been recorded ( Nikitina 1960); in other countries, this may also be a rather new phenomenon, linked with the recent cultivation of soybean, bean and maize that are characterised by larger planting seed material (e.g. Weaver and Warwick 1984).

Invasion status

Naturalised. The species is a component of traditional ruderal vegetation, but also occurs along rivers and around springs.

Evidence of impact

Agriculture - moderate impact (occasional weed of crops, in fields and gardens). Native ecosystems - minor impact (occurring along streams near populated places). Urban areas - moderate impact (ruderal occurrence).

Trend

Stable (inferred).

Figures

Figure 8. Datura stramonium along a cotton field in Andijon District, Uzbekistan (photo by T. Tillaev, 23 July 2017). Source: https: // www. plantarium. ru / page / image / id / 525187. html (Plantarium 2021).

Figure 9. Recorded distribution of Datura stramonium in Kyrgyzstan.