Simaroubaceae & Solanaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

SIMAROUBACEAE

A family with about 150 species in tropical and warm-temperate regions, mostly in rainforests. Three native species in Western Australia and one naturalised. Ailanthus altissima(tree of heaven) PP is a stout deciduous tree to 25m with large, pinnately-divided, foul-smelling, sticky leaves, small yellow-green flowers in spring and winged fruits. It suckers easily and has spread from gardens at old settlements in the southern wheatbelt. Native to China.

Ailanthus altissima, GK

SOLANACEAE - Potato Family

A family with about 2800 species of herbs, shrubs, vines or small trees, widely distributed in both tropical and temperate regions. Many of the plants are prickly, and some are toxic. The family contains many species that are cultivated for food or ornament, or are the source of narcotics and medicinal drugs. In Western Australia there are 73 native and 27 naturalised species. Many others are cultivated. Datura(thornapples)are annuals or short-lived perennials. They have alternate, stalked leaves and a trumpet-shaped flower, usually produced during summer. The fruit is a spiny capsule and all the species contain alkaloids and are very poisonous. The probable centre of origin is in the Americas, but several are now cosmopolitan. D. ferox (fierce thornapple, longspine thornapple) DP is an erect, bushy annual to 1.5m with white flowers. The leaves are ovate with toothed margins. The fruit is egg-shaped, with large, rigid spines of unequal length. Occurs occasionally along roadsides and on wasteland in parts of the south-west and Goldfields. A native of Mexico.

Datura fruits, CG

D. inoxia(downy thornapple) DP is an erect, bushy, glandular-hairy annual. It has large ovate leaves and white flowers with green veins. The fruit is 5cm wide, globular and prickly. A garden escape, now a weed of disturbed areas in Perth, parts of the central and northern wheatbelt and the Kimberley. A native of Mexico, South America and the West Indies. D. leichhardtii(Leichhardt's thornapple) DP was formerly considered native to Australia but is actually of Mexican origin. It is anerect herb to 30cm with ovate, lobed leaves and white flowers produced in late winter. The fruits are spiny and 3cm wide. It grows along creeklines in the Pilbara and Gascoyne. D. metel(angel's trumpet, horn of plenty) DP is a bushy perennial growing to 1m, often with a purplish tinge. It has large, oval, glossy green leaves with undulate margins. The flowers are white, or cream to violet and the globular fruit is covered with small spines. A garden escape, naturalised near old settlements in the south-west and on very disturbed areas near Broome and Mandora. A native of the Americas.

Datura inoxia, APB

D. stramonium(common thornapple, jimson weed) DP is a bushy annual, growing to 2m, with ovate, deeply serrate leaves. The white or pale lilac flowers are smaller than other species at about 10cm long. The fruit is egg-shaped, similar at a glance to D. ferox, but with a greater number of smaller spines on the fruits. It is an infrequent weed of horticulture around Perth and is also naturalised on wastelands around settlements in the south-west and parts of the eastern Goldfields. A widespread weed, probably of American origin. D. wrightii(hoary thornapple) DP is an erect, bushy annual with hairy ovate leaves, large white flowers and a globular fruit with short, blunt spines. It is very similar to D. inoxia, but has yellowish rather than brown seeds and much larger flowers. A weed of wasteland in the Kimberley and the south-west. A native of Mexico and southern North America.
D. candida (angel's trumpet) PP is a large, rather brittle shrub with huge (20cm) hanging white flowers, very sweetly-scented at night. It comes from Mexico and is not naturalised, but has been declared a Pest Plant so that eradication from gardens can be enforced. The plant is very toxic, and cases of poisoning have occurred where leaves or flowers have contaminated drinking water. (Sometimes placed in the genus Brugmansia, as B. candida).

D. stramonium, GK

Lycium ferocissimum(African boxthorn) PP is a dense thorny shrub that may be up to 3m tall. It has bright green, rather fleshy leaves, clustered at the end of small branchlets. The flowers have a delicate scent and are pale mauve with darker mauve centres. The fruits are bright red berries hanging from slender stalks. Introduced as a hedgerow plant, it is now naturalised along foreshores, roadsides, reserves and other areas where garden rubbish has been dumped or birds have carried the seed. It is found between Geraldton (where it is common on the Greenough Flats) and Eucla. It is seriously interfering with seal breeding on beaches in the Recherche Archipelago. A native of South Africa.

Lycium ferocissimum, RK

Lycopersicon esculentum(tomato) is a short-lived, hairy, sticky, much-branched herb with fleshy stems and irregularly divided leaves. The yellow flowers are star-shaped, and are produced on short sprays from the leaf axils. The fruit is a red berry, usually much smaller than in the cultivated form. Naturalised on the edges of rivers close to settlements in the Kimberley, where the seeds may have been spread by birds. Also an occasional weed in the Perth area. A native of South America.

Nicandra physalodes (apple of Peru)is a hollow-stemmed, branched annual to 2m with pale blue, bell-shaped flowers with a leafy calyx. The winged, papery calyx expands to enclose the orange berries. Flowers in summer. The leaves are ovate, with wavy margins. A garden escape on wasteland around settlements from Carnarvon to Margaret River and also found among irrigation crops on the Ord River. Native to Peru.

Nicandra physalodes, GK

Nicotiana glauca(tree tobacco) is a slender, erect, open shrub, the smallest branches often drooping. It has ovate, bluish-grey leaves and, in spring and summer, sprays of nodding, tubular yellow flowers on slender stalks. A weed of roadsides and wasteland, widespread throughout the south-west. A native of Argentina.

Nicotiana glauca, RR

to Solanaceae cont.

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Webmaster: Rod Randall

A family with about 2800 species of herbs, shrubs, vines or small trees, widely distributed in both tropical and temperate regions. Many of the plants are prickly, and some are toxic. The family contains many species that are cultivated for food or ornament, or are the source of narcotics and medicinal drugs. In Western Australia there are 73 native and 27 naturalised species. Many others are cultivated. *Datura(thornapples)are annuals or short-lived perennials. They have alternate, stalked leaves and a trumpet-shaped flower, usually produced during summer. The fruit is a spiny capsule and all the species contain alkaloids and are very poisonous. The probable centre of origin is in the Americas, but several are now cosmopolitan. D. ferox* (fierce thornapple, longspine thornapple) DP is an erect, bushy annual to 1.5m with white flowers. The leaves are ovate with toothed margins. The fruit is egg-shaped, with large, rigid spines of unequal length. Occurs occasionally along roadsides and on wasteland in parts of the south-west and Goldfields. A native of Mexico.	*Datura* fruits, CG
*D. inoxia(downy thornapple) DP is an erect, bushy, glandular-hairy annual. It has large ovate leaves and white flowers with green veins. The fruit is 5cm wide, globular and prickly. A garden escape, now a weed of disturbed areas in Perth, parts of the central and northern wheatbelt and the Kimberley. A native of Mexico, South America and the West Indies. D. leichhardtii(Leichhardt's thornapple) DP was formerly considered native to Australia but is actually of Mexican origin. It is anerect herb to 30cm with ovate, lobed leaves and white flowers produced in late winter. The fruits are spiny and 3cm wide. It grows along creeklines in the Pilbara and Gascoyne. D. metel*(angel's trumpet, horn of plenty) DP is a bushy perennial growing to 1m, often with a purplish tinge. It has large, oval, glossy green leaves with undulate margins. The flowers are white, or cream to violet and the globular fruit is covered with small spines. A garden escape, naturalised near old settlements in the south-west and on very disturbed areas near Broome and Mandora. A native of the Americas.	*Datura inoxia*, APB
*D. stramonium(common thornapple, jimson weed) DP is a bushy annual, growing to 2m, with ovate, deeply serrate leaves. The white or pale lilac flowers are smaller than other species at about 10cm long. The fruit is egg-shaped, similar at a glance to D. ferox, but with a greater number of smaller spines on the fruits. It is an infrequent weed of horticulture around Perth and is also naturalised on wastelands around settlements in the south-west and parts of the eastern Goldfields. A widespread weed, probably of American origin. D. wrightii(hoary thornapple) DP is an erect, bushy annual with hairy ovate leaves, large white flowers and a globular fruit with short, blunt spines. It is very similar to D. inoxia, but has yellowish rather than brown seeds and much larger flowers. A weed of wasteland in the Kimberley and the south-west. A native of Mexico and southern North America. D. candida* (angel's trumpet) PP is a large, rather brittle shrub with huge (20cm) hanging white flowers, very sweetly-scented at night. It comes from Mexico and is not naturalised, but has been declared a Pest Plant so that eradication from gardens can be enforced. The plant is very toxic, and cases of poisoning have occurred where leaves or flowers have contaminated drinking water. (Sometimes placed in the genus Brugmansia, as B. candida).	*D. stramonium*, GK
*Lycium ferocissimum*(African boxthorn) PP is a dense thorny shrub that may be up to 3m tall. It has bright green, rather fleshy leaves, clustered at the end of small branchlets. The flowers have a delicate scent and are pale mauve with darker mauve centres. The fruits are bright red berries hanging from slender stalks. Introduced as a hedgerow plant, it is now naturalised along foreshores, roadsides, reserves and other areas where garden rubbish has been dumped or birds have carried the seed. It is found between Geraldton (where it is common on the Greenough Flats) and Eucla. It is seriously interfering with seal breeding on beaches in the Recherche Archipelago. A native of South Africa.	*Lycium ferocissimum*, RK
*Lycopersicon esculentum(tomato) is a short-lived, hairy, sticky, much-branched herb with fleshy stems and irregularly divided leaves. The yellow flowers are star-shaped, and are produced on short sprays from the leaf axils. The fruit is a red berry, usually much smaller than in the cultivated form. Naturalised on the edges of rivers close to settlements in the Kimberley, where the seeds may have been spread by birds. Also an occasional weed in the Perth area. A native of South America. Nicandra physalodes* (apple of Peru)is a hollow-stemmed, branched annual to 2m with pale blue, bell-shaped flowers with a leafy calyx. The winged, papery calyx expands to enclose the orange berries. Flowers in summer. The leaves are ovate, with wavy margins. A garden escape on wasteland around settlements from Carnarvon to Margaret River and also found among irrigation crops on the Ord River. Native to Peru.	*Nicandra physalodes*, GK
*Nicotiana glauca*(tree tobacco) is a slender, erect, open shrub, the smallest branches often drooping. It has ovate, bluish-grey leaves and, in spring and summer, sprays of nodding, tubular yellow flowers on slender stalks. A weed of roadsides and wasteland, widespread throughout the south-west. A native of Argentina.	*Nicotiana glauca*, RR