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As soon as people hear the word - dope, in the mind pops up cute flowers in the form of pipes, exuding a pleasant aroma. Looking at them from the side, the fact that the plant is poisonous is unlikely to come to mind. Despite this, its majestic buds simply fascinate the true lovers of nature. And what if we lift the veil of misunderstanding and look at the flower from the objective side? Probably worth a try.
Practice shows that the use or close contact with the dope leads to the appearance of bright hallucinations. That is why shamans and witches used it for their magical rites to deceive people.
Raise the veil of a mysterious flower
Datura is an evergreen herbaceous perennial. It grows in the tropical and subtropical zone of our planet. It feels comfortable in the steppe regions and hilly regions. In a cool climate, the flower is grown as an annual variant. It is often found on wastelands and on roadsides. Loves moist soil, so appears in the shade of buildings like a weed. On the Crimean peninsula, it is grown for medicinal purposes.
In accordance with various folk traditions, the plant is called differently. Here are some of them:
- angelic pipes;
- henbane;
- the grass of the devil;
- Lunar flower;
- crazy grass;
- duropyan;
- hardback;
- grass sorcerers;
- a mad potion;
- stupid grass.
Of course, the names are not very pleasant. In addition, the flower was used in pagan cults to communicate with demons. And ancient healers treated the plant with serious diseases. Whatever it was, if you follow the safety rules, dope can easily be grown in the suburban area.
A flower is considered to be a representative of the Nightshade. His close relatives are pretty nice plants. It is a favorite potato, juicy tomatoes or lilac eggplant. In general, dope is a large herb that is distinguished by lodging or erect tubular shoots. They can reach a height of about 120 cm. Outside, the stems are covered with a glossy bark of dark green or reddish color. When the dope grass grows old, the root shoots become lignified, acquiring a brownish color.
From the main trunk protrusions depart, on which there are regular leaves of large sizes (length about 15 cm, width about 10). They come with a serrated frame or an oblong shape. The exterior color is dark green. The back part of usually lighter tones. Interestingly, along the vein, located in the center of the leaf, a strip of light tone is visible, which gives it a stylish appearance.
If you carefully consider the photo of a datura flower, you can see that the buds originate in the sinuses of the leaf plate or on the fork of the shoots. Magnificent tubular inflorescences consist of five delicate sectors. The depth of the funnel reaches about 15 cm. Some species can boast a bell length of 25 cm. Appear buds with the advent of the first summer days. The last inflorescence pleases the eye in the fall, with the onset of frost. Datura flower can be painted in bright colors:
- snow-white;
- Orange;
- yellow;
- brightly lilac;
- purple.
The original form of the bud happens in the form of a simple large bell with fused petals. Some species differ in spiraling complex inflorescences. It has been noticed that the dope plant does not always exude a pleasant fragrance. Some varieties practically do not smell, but they have unsurpassed beauty of buds.
Since the flower refers to the night plant species, you can admire its buds only after sunset or on cloudy days. When planting in the suburban area, this fact should be taken into account.
When the lush bloom passes, the bushes form fruit in the form of large oblong boxes full of seeds.Outside they are covered with a skin of dark green color with original spines. The inner part of the fetus is divided into 4 sectors.
In each of them there are seeds of black color of round or kidney shape. The first boxes appear in July.
Charming kinds of mysterious flower
Despite the fact that dope is a poisonous plant, there are about 13 different species of it. But they cultivate only a few of them in the suburban areas.
If you experience symptoms such as redness of the skin, rapid heartbeat, severe headache, dry mouth and dilated pupils, you should seek help.
Datura is ordinary
An incredibly tenacious species of plant, which is often mistaken for a weed, can reach 120 cm in height. Its tubular erect shoots are covered with large leaves with cut edges. When the dense anthrax blooms, it appears quite a few bell-shaped buds of white color. But this does not prevent him from exhaling stupefying odor.
In the natural environment, the flower grows on vacant lots, near low shrubs, on forest edges and river meadows. As a medicinal plant it is grown in the Kuban, as well as in the southern regions of Ukraine. The photo shows an ordinary dope in a natural environment.
Medicinal plants are dried leaves, which are collected in sunny dry weather. No less valuable are the seeds. They are suitable after full ripening of fruit boxes. Keep the medicinal raw materials in a dry room not more than 2 years.
Datura Indian
This species can be found on flowerbeds of country sites. The plant is a branched bush of meter height. Its large dark green foliage rests on long petioles. The shape of the plate is oblong. Buds of Indian datura are of different colors. Much depends on the species. Here are some of them:
- "Ballerina". It differs in double colors of violet or yellowish color.
- "Medea". The brand is characterized by snow-white bells about 20 cm long.
- «Flore Pleno». Terry inflorescences are pale yellow.
Datura Indian
This species has very toxic properties. The inhabitants of the American continent used it as a soporific means. Shamans of Indian tribes used in their rituals as a magical drug that causes hallucinations.
The leaves of the Indian dolman have an egg-shaped form. Color gray-green. Buds of simple or double nature. The maximum length of the inflorescence is about 13 cm.
Simple rules of flower care
A detailed description of the datura grass and photos show that the plant does not require special care. It is enough to adhere to the basic rules, and the mysterious flower will be delayed for a long time in the country site.
If there is an opportunity to grow sprouts on your own, you can safely tackle this matter. The best option is to get it ready. Planted datura grass on the flower beds in early summer. The distance between the bushes is about 100 cm, so that each seedling has enough air, light and moisture.
In order to avoid damaging the root of the plant when planting the flower, it is important to keep a small earthen litter on the seedlings.
The soil on the flower bed should be loose nature with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. If the soil is acidic, you can make some lime. The most suitable place is a sunny, windless part of the yard.
Because dope loves moderate humidity, it should be watered regularly. In this case, the water should not stagnate under the bush. Wide leaves of the plant need refreshment, so they should be periodically sprayed.
When the period of throwing buds comes, it is desirable to feed dope. Mineral fertilizers are dissolved in water, after which they are carefully introduced into the soil. To stimulate the flowering of the bush, it is better to water it with hard water. And cut the lower part of the plant. The procedure is performed in early spring or at the final stage of flowering.
At approach of colds, long-term variants of a grass completely cut off under a root.
Majestic datura flower, photo and description of which, attracts many fans, quite well tolerates various diseases.The only problem is gray rot. It occurs if plants are planted very densely. In rare cases, a spider mite, bugs or weevils can settle on the crown. To overcome pests easily with the help of insecticides.
In the middle latitudes, where severe winters predominate, dope is grown in tubs. Some gardeners in autumn transplant the flower from the open ground into deep containers. They are placed in a room where the maximum temperature of about 13 degrees is maintained. In wet weather, they are rarely watered. With the advent of spring, the plant is taken to warmer places, creating comfortable conditions for it. Due to the implementation of such simple rules, it is possible to contemplate the beauty of "Angel Pipes" in your summer residence during the whole season.
