Citation: L., Amoen. Acad. 3:403 (1756).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Fierce (or long-spine) thornapple.

Description:
Stout bushy annual herb 0.2-1 m tall, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with non-glandular hairs; leaves from broadly ovate and angular to rounded-triangular, 8.5-14 x 6-16 cm, coarsely, irregularly and shallowly lobed, some of the 3 or 4 lobes toothed or sinuate.

Flowers 4.5-6 cm long; corolla white; lobes 5, separated by distinct sinuses; stigma borne below the anthers.

Capsule erect, ellipsoid or broadly so, 2-4 x 2-3 cm (excluding the spines), dehiscing by 4 entire valves; spines 40-60, stout, sharp, markedly shorter towards the capsule base, the longest at least half the length of the capsule; seeds black or grey, 4-4.8 mm long.

	Flowering branch, spreading corolla lobes, fruit and seed.
Image source: fig. 562A in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 585).

Distribution:  Widespread weed usually found in scattered populations in agricultural and pastoral districts, especially along perennial watercourses and in irrigated summer crops. S.Aust.: GT, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   All States.   Native to China; widely distributed throughout warm regions of the world. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: summer.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: Natural hybrids with D. stramonium are known to occur.

Author: Not yet available