A botanical plate from Hortus Eystettensis (1613), one of the most important Florilegia of the early modern period, published by Basilius Besler.

Scientific Name: Datura Stramonium and related species
Identification: Thorn Apple, Datura
Family: Solanaceae

Properties: Noted for its dramatic form and potent qualities, datura occupied a complex place in early herbal and naturalist traditions, admired as much as it was approached with caution. Its large trumpet-shaped flowers and spined seed capsules signaled both allure and danger, reflecting its association with altered states, protection rites, and powerful medicinal applications when carefully controlled. In symbolic language, datura represented thresholds, transformation, and the volatile boundary between remedy and poison. Within early modern botanical collections, it embodied nature’s darker virtues, emphasizing the necessity of knowledge, restraint, and respect when engaging with plants of formidable strength.