Brugmansia aurea

Brugmansia aurea, the golden angel's trumpet, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, endemic to Ecuador. Since March 2014, it has been listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN but before that, it was listed as Vulnerable.[1]

Brugmansia aurea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Brugmansia
Species:
B. aurea
Binomial name
Brugmansia aurea
Lagerh.
Synonyms

Brugmansia pittieri

Despite being declared extinct in its native range, Brugmansia aurea is a popular ornamental and is widely cultivated, like the other members of its genus. It is sold and grown as a garden plant, described as a large evergreen subtropical shrub capable of growing to 20 ft (6.1 m) in height. The large, pendent, trumpet-shaped yellow or white blooms appear in summer and autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. The pleasant fragrance is strongest in the evening.[2]

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet aurea means "golden".[3]

Cultivation

Several cultivars exist, notably 'Grand Marnier' with peach-coloured flowers. It dislikes temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F), but may be placed outside in a sheltered spot during the summer months.[4]

Synonyms
  • Brugmansia affinis
  • Datura aurea
  • Datura affinis

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are poisonous.[5]

Uses

It is used as a hallucinogen. Its most potent cultivar is Culebra Borrachero, which has a high concentration of the psychoactive scopolamine.[6] It has also been used as a truth serum.[7] Borrachero loosely translates to "get-you-drunk", and scopolamine is also known as Devil's Breath[8] and burundanga.[9]

References
  1. Hay, A. (2014). "Brugmansia aurea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T38124A58906215. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T38124A58906215.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. "12 plants for evening scent". BBC Gardener's World Online. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
  4. "Brugmansia aurea 'Grand Marnier'". RHS. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  5. "Angel's Trumpet," The Better Homes and Gardens Plant Encyclopedia.
  6. Pratt, Christina (2007). "Brugmansia Aurea". An Encyclopedia of Shamanism. Rosen Publishing. pp. 68–70. ISBN 978-1-4042-1040-0.
  7. House, Robert E. (1931). "The Use of Scopolamine in Criminology". The American Journal of Police Science. 2 (4): 328–336. doi:10.2307/1147361. ISSN 1547-6154. JSTOR 1147361.
  8. Draper, Lucy (September 3, 2015). "Does the 'Devil's Breath' Drug Really Exist?". Newsweek. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  9. Cotroneo, Christian (September 3, 2013). "The World's Scariest Drug". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
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