Question

Describe Datura metel in technical terms. Draw the floral diagram and write the floral formula.

Answer 1

Hint: Floral formula The structure of a flower is represented with the help of various special symbols and numbers or letters that provide information about the flower in a compact form is called floral formula. There are two ways of describing flower structure which were developed during the 19th century. The floral diagram is always drawn in a circular outline. The floral whorls are in the form of concentric circles. Sepals are on the outermost circle and the petals, stamens, and carpels are towards the inner side.

Complete answer:
Datura consists of different parts:
Habit: Erect, stout herb and large
Root: Branched tap root system
Stem: Green stem, hollow, herbaceous with a strong odour
Leaf: Alternate, petiolate, simple, deeply lobed, reticulate venation and exstipulate
Inflorescence: Axillary and solitary cyme
Flower: White, greenish, large, bracteate, ebracteolate, pedicellate, regular, actinomorphic bisexual and hypogynous
Calyx: Sepals-5, gamosepalous showing valvate aestivation, green, odd sepal is posterior in position
Corolla: Petals-5, white, greenish, gamosepalous showing twisted, aestivation funnel-shaped
Androecium: Stamens-5, alternate the petals and are inserted in the middle of the corolla tube, free from one another epipetalous. Anthers are dithecous with long filament, basifixed, longitudinally dehiscent, and introrse.

Gynoecium: Ovary superior, syncarpous, and carpellary. Carpels obliquely placed and ovules on the soul and exile placenta. Style long, simple, and filiform. Two-lobed stigma.
Fruit: Spinescent capsule opening by four apical valves with persistent calyx
Seed: Endospermous
Floral formula:
Floral diagram:

Additional information: Datura metal is known as Indian thornapple in Europe, devil’s trumpet in the USA. They are neutralized in all warmer conditions of the world. It is cultivated as an ornamental hand medicinal plant all over the world. It is adapted in the warmer countries of the world especially in India. It is a perennial herb which is an annual plant created by selective breeding. It contains dark violet shoots and broad over leaves which are dark violet sometimes. The flowers are pleasantly scented and are immensely varied. Corolla color is varied from yellow, red, violet, white to cream. The species of datura which is black datura has a glossy purple-black stem and has long existed as a garden plant. The flour contains normally double or triple Corolla in which each ruler has a Deep purple exterior and white interior.

Note: The deity Shiva has a swollen blue spot in the throat which is due to the transmutation of Datura engendering poison Halahala as he drinks the cosmic poison churned from the ocean of milk. The milk is churned from the flower of Datura which is a lip of carved yoni. Shiva has hallucinogenic properties with Datura due to its toxication.