Like deadly nightshade, the dozen or so species in the genus Datura belong to the Solanaceae family - containing tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants, among others.
They contain similar alkaloid compounds. Some species are valued as ornamentals due to their beautiful, trumpet-shaped flowers. But others, such as jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), are invasive and considered pest plants.
Its name derives from the Jamestown settlement, after British soldiers who were attempting to quash a rebellion were fed the leaves in a salad and spent the ensuing eleven days in a state of delirium - and without their clothes on.
Datura has been used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples in order to commune with the supernatural world.
While also used as a medicinal plant - it has pain-relieving properties - it has also resulted in fatalities. It is not illegal to grow but derivatives are considered illegal drugs in the United Kingdom.
