What´s the role of Datura in nature?

[AwesomeUsername]

I always thought that every plant in this planet has some sort of role in the nature, be it as a medicine, entheogen, a poison or a food source, but after some research I found out that Datura isn´t either one of those.

Here´s what I mean with that...

-It is not a medicine because even at extremely low doses its side effects outweighs its benefits, and there are better alternatives for the same medicinal issues.
-It is not an entheogen because the intoxicating doses of these plants don´t provide any meaningful insights, it only produces confusion.
-It is not a poison, because the LD50 is so high compared to the active dose. The non-deliriant dose of scopolamine (the main active ingredient) is in a range of a few hundred micrograms, 10mg have been known to kill a child, and there have been reports that adults have survived up to 100mg. Seeing as the lethal dose is 200+ times more the active dose, it is not a poison.
-It´s not food... well this one doesn´t even need explanation.

I´m a little confused by this, it seems that for a long time this plant has been used for evil. It´s extract have been slipped to the victims so that they could rape and rob the victims leaving them with no recall on what happened. It seems practically useless for human use (it shouldn´t be used for what it´s used anyways...), so why do we have these plants? Are they useful for animals? Has it got some kind of preparation which could be beneficial for us and the world, or is it possible that it´s really a useless plant?

 

[espurrr]

hey
i think you may be looking at this from the wrong angle
it IS medicine, the ground seeds are used for nausea, and getting women horny
it IS an entheogen, however people mess up the inner and outer process of its consumption, hence the confusion
it IS a poison, it damages the liver if taken regularly *some people take the seeds everyday, don't ask why, no idea*
but it is NOT food
maybe a subtler outlook on the plant would reveal to you its many uses *excluding the roofie one*

 

[Biawak]

Hawk moths feed on the nectar and the larvae eat the leaves.

 

[Chan]

Maybe we've just 'lost' the correct way to use it entheogenically?

Although, if Castaneda's experiences with it in The Teachings of Don Juan are anything to go by, it could be quite the ordeal to rediscover it... Handy for finding lost items, apparently. But sure, you might lose yourself, too. The (female) spirit is quite powerful, and easy to offend, so you might want to think twice about describing the plant as 'useless'...!

I grew some this summer: beautiful plant, loads of seeds, and for something so 'toxic' the insects loved munching the leaves. Which got me wondering what it must be like to be a seriously stoned aphid.

Not every function is apparent to human eyes, so that's a poor filter to use, IMO.

And like, why do guys even have nipples?

But as a source of hyoscine, it:

has a number of uses in medicine, where it is used to treat the following:[10][11]

Postoperative nausea and vomiting and sea sickness, leading to its use by scuba divers[12][13]
Motion sickness (where it is often applied as a transdermal patch behind the ear)
Gastrointestinal spasms
Renal or biliary spasms
Aid in gastrointestinal radiology and endoscopy
Irritable bowel syndrome
Clozapine-induced hypersalivation (drooling)
Bowel colic
Eye inflammation[14]
It is sometimes used as a premedication (especially to reduce respiratory tract secretions) to surgery, mostly commonly by injection.[10][11]

So there's all that too.

And, it's humans who bring the evil into situations, not plants, IME.

 

[Jees]

I cannot plant them outside or they get eaten away in a record time by some unknown animal/bug. So at least it's just food for some species.

 

[JP]

I always thought that every plant in this planet has some sort of role in the nature, be it as a medicine, entheogen, a poison or a food source, but after some research I found out that Datura isn´t either one of those.

Here´s what I mean with that...

-It is not a medicine because even at extremely low doses its side effects outweighs its benefits, and there are better alternatives for the same medicinal issues.
-It is not an entheogen because the intoxicating doses of these plants don´t provide any meaningful insights, it only produces confusion.
-It is not a poison, because the LD50 is so high compared to the active dose. The non-deliriant dose of scopolamine (the main active ingredient) is in a range of a few hundred micrograms, 10mg have been known to kill a child, and there have been reports that adults have survived up to 100mg. Seeing as the lethal dose is 200+ times more the active dose, it is not a poison.
-It´s not food... well this one doesn´t even need explanation.

I´m a little confused by this, it seems that for a long time this plant has been used for evil. It´s extract have been slipped to the victims so that they could rape and rob the victims leaving them with no recall on what happened. It seems practically useless for human use (it shouldn´t be used for what it´s used anyways...), so why do we have these plants? Are they useful for animals? Has it got some kind of preparation which could be beneficial for us and the world, or is it possible that it´s really a useless plant?

I've read a few articles stating that daturas suck heavy metals from the soil.

 

[urtica]

The smell of the flowers is beautiful. Also the moths love the flowers.

Calling a plant useless because it does not have an obvious use for humans by you is kind of shortsighted I think. The plants exist for themselves primarily, they are our elders & teachers whether we can eat them or not.

Also if you get the dose right Datura can be really nice.

 

[○]

The smell of the flowers is beautiful.

Can smell up a good sized deck or patio with just two or three plants.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

Datura can help detract larger animals due to its powerful scent and potent toxicity. Considering the flowers really only bloom during the moonlight hours, it can be comforting while sleeping in knowing that your garden is well-protected. Or at least to some degree. Not to mention the medicinal and entheogenic traits that these kinds of plants possess. They've been around far longer than us and are fascinating guardians of nature's beauty. Although I wouldn't classify datura as an entheogen in its own right, some people do. Particularly in areas where it grows naturally and abundantly for serious shamanic work. Even then, there are very evil people out there who could potentially and easily manipulate you. I personally view datura as an added ally for enhancing visions or reducing negative somatic effects(nausea, vomiting, etc).

However, there are definitely safer options available today because tropane alkaloids exert a thin therapeutic window in terms of benefiting from its consumption, or experiencing full-fledged delirium. Which isn't a classical effect of psychedelics, but rather a kind of defensive effect that the plant is informing you to clear out and stay away! I think recreational use of datura is absolutely ridiculous and dangerous but some experienced and knowledgeable folks are able to tolerate specified/low amounts.

 

[Bancopuma]

You're really not asking "What's the role of Datura in nature?", you are in fact asking "What role does Datura have for human beings?" which are of course two very different questions. The answer to both questions is that it has numerous roles. Another question one could ask is "What role do I, or humans play in nature?" There is so much more to the natural world beyond that we assign a crude and superficial value of usefulness too.

 

[Ulim]

Not every being needs to have a role.
Datura has flowers so its insect food.

 

[dragonrider]

-Brugmansia is being used in ayahuasca brews as an admixture. The role of it in these brews, is to modulate the effects of all of the other substances.
-It is also being used to induce vivid, lucid dreams. Exposure to merely the smell of it's flowers is enough to achieve this effect.

In europe, there has never been a tradition of brewing ayahuasca, ofcourse. But datura has been used for medicinal purposes. Small amounts of it are effective against asthma, and it has been used as an antidote against opiate overdoses. It has been used in eyedrops as well.

 

[exquisitus]

-Brugmansia is being used in ayahuasca brews as an admixture. The role of it in these brews, is to modulate the effects of all of the other substances.
-It is also being used to induce vivid, lucid dreams. Exposure to merely the smell of it's flowers is enough to achieve this effect.

not universally true, for sure.
brugs never ever worked for me. "Exposure to merely the smell"? smells very nice i admit, exactly as described in the literature, i love the smell and that's about it, NOTHING else. a handfull of fresh juicy leaves, still NOTHING. how could that be? am i THAT neurally Atypical then? some kind of a freak? a mutant? an alien?
strictly speaking, studying well known south american native accounts does not leave the impression that "to modulate the effects of all of the other substances" it's what brugs is used for.

 

[Wakinyan]

Not a medicine and not used as an entheogen?

 

[benzyme]

atropine is frequently administered for bradycardia.
just because you don't like its side effects, doesn't mean it doesn't have therapeutic use for something.

 

[Mr&Mrs McShulfman]

Datura is brother ans sister. Take the right amount and they will heal your brotherhood feelings with everything. Aneglakia and Aneglakia tsitsa really love each other and they are ready to help you in your one person to one person relations.

 

[lobo]

Microdose of datura or brugmansia before sleep is a potent enhance dreamer.

 

[endlessness]

Lifeforms dont exist because they "have a role", but rather because random mutations during DNA copying have accidentally given them some advantage to survive in their surroundings and therefore they succesfully reproduced 'till this day. That is what the current theory of evolution states, a theory backed by a lot of evidence, and so far the best standing theory. Our understanding may change in the future if evidence points elsewhere, but so far that's the best model we have.

 

[Mindlusion]

Lifeforms dont exist because they "have a role", but rather because random mutations during DNA copying have accidentally given them some advantage to survive in their surroundings and therefore they succesfully reproduced 'till this day. That is what the current theory of evolution states, a theory backed by a lot of evidence, and so far the best standing theory. Our understanding may change in the future if evidence points elsewhere, but so far that's the best model we have.

The idea that mutation (and/or natural selection) is an entirely random process is more or less a dogmatic belief, There is much evidence to show that mutation is purposeful and adaptive as a result of stressors on the environment. Mutation is a evolutionary creative technique, not an accident. Or at least it is harnessed as such. This is well observed in bacteria, as well as their genetic memory. They are able to shift into a DNA repair mode 'mutation mode' where they can mutate their DNA with high frequency and somehow retain the memory of what their DNA was or should be across many generations.
Especially it becomes interesting when taken into consideration the symbiotic effect on evolution that viruses have. Even some animals are able to edit their own genome (Octipi)

Here is a short review Evolving responsively: adaptive mutation - Nature Reviews Genetics

 

[Loveall]

That makes sense Mindlusion. I've heard (but can't find the reference) that a simple random mathematical model of mutation cannot account for the speed and variability observed in evolution. That would imply that nature is more nuanced than random mutation, your suggestions being a possible mechanism.