Angel’s trumpet is the common name for Datura stramonium, or jimsonweed.
The name is attributed to the tubular shape of the flower,
said to resemble Gabriel’s trumpet, which the archangel will blow on
the Day of Judgment according to the Book of Revelation. Others say
the plant was so named because it is poisonous and anyone who eats
the plant is likely to hear Gabriel’s horn prematurely!
Angel’s trumpet grows three to six feet and bears large, showy flowers
similar to morning glories. The plant was discovered in ancient
times and has been used by religious groups to induce visions. Native
Americans of what is now the southwestern United States used it in
spiritual ceremonies. South American Indians used the plant as an
anesthetic while performing surgeries. Drugs that have been isolated
from angel’s trumpet include atropine (used to relieve spasms and
dilate the pupil of the eye), hyoscyamine (used as a sedative and hypnotic)
and scopolamine (used in producing twilight sleep).
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